Foreign nationals denied access to benefits under new Conservative welfare proposals would have the option of returning to their home countries, Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has said.
Speaking ahead of his address at the Conservative Party Conference on Monday, Stride defended the party’s plan to save £47 billion a year from public spending, with £23 billion coming from cuts to welfare.
The proposed reforms include restricting social security payments to UK citizens only, a move that would exclude long-term residents with indefinite leave to remain.
In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Stride said: “If they’ve come from other parts of the world, they would have an option to return to those other parts.”
He added that while not all affected individuals would face hardship, others might “adjust their working arrangements or work longer” to cope.
Stride argued that the policy reflects the principle that “UK citizenship should mean something,” insisting most people would agree benefits should be reserved for British citizens.
However, the restriction would not apply to EU nationals with settled status, whose benefit rights are protected under post-Brexit agreements.
Beyond welfare cuts, the Conservatives plan to save an additional £8 billion by axing about 130,000 civil service jobs and £7 billion by reducing overseas aid to 0.1% of GDP down from Labour’s current 0.3%.
Further savings would come from eliminating what Stride called ineffective green subsidies.
Stride said the measures were necessary to rein in public spending, warning: “The country is living beyond its means. The Conservative Party is the only one prepared to take fiscal responsibility seriously.”
