TORIES and Reform competed with pledges to slash welfare today, with the Conservatives vowing to put the money into the military instead.

The Tory plan aims to axe welfare spending by £23 billion a year, including restoring the two-child benefit cap, cuts to housing benefit and ending the VAT exemption on motability vehicles.

These cuts will fund an immediate £10bn uplift in arms spending, party leader Kemi Badenoch said.

A Labour spokesperson ridiculed the plans, saying: “Dodgy Tory economics won’t fund Britain’s defences.

“This proposal uses the same money they’ve already spent on other things.

“This is just days after Kemi Badenoch promoted a key architect of the Liz Truss mini-Budget as her shadow chancellor.

“It’s the same old Tories – they haven’t listened and they haven’t learned.”

Not to be outdone, Reform treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick committed to a £50bn cut in welfare if the Farage party wins the next election, as part of an overall reduction of more than twice that amount in state spending.

He told the Telegraph newspaper that the savings would go towards tax cuts.

Reform’s major target will be people receiving benefits because of mental health conditions, who will all be reassessed, and those who have been on benefits for more than a year.

“Under Reform, there will be no more something for nothing,” Mr Jenrick said, echoing the right-wing demagogy of the ages.

Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson MP said: “Reform have provided no detail on how or where these enormous cuts would fall. It’s incredibly reckless and could mean vital public services like hospitals, schools and law enforcement are put at risk.
“Instead of drawing up half-baked plans on the public finances, Farage should come clean about the scandals he and Reform are facing over their own finances.

“The truth about his secret £5 million “gift” will come out – it’s time he finally took responsibility for his actions and proved he’s not just in it for himself.”