Badenoch announces Tory review of which conditions qualify for benefits
The Conservatives have begun a policy review to slash the scope and cost of the benefits system, with Kemi Badenoch saying an “age of diagnosis” for “low-level mental conditions” was fast making it unaffordable,While it is up to the review to come up with specific policies, the Conservative leader hinted that some payments could become time limited, saying one element would examine “at what stage support should come in, and how long it should last”,She also suggested the possibility of ending the use of relative poverty as an indicator of deprivation, saying this took no account of people’s improved circumstances if the economy grew,Speaking at an event in central London, Badenoch said under the party’s “campaign to get Britain working again” she and three other members of her frontbench team would next year look at “the most challenging and complicated aspect of work and welfare in this country”,While Badenoch said this would be done with medical and employment experts “to make sure that we get it right”, a key refrain of her speech was that the increase in people receiving benefits for physical and mental conditions was unaffordable.
It was, she said, particularly the case for “low-level mental health issues” such as ADHD.“A lot of people don’t know the scale of the problem,” she said.“A lot of people don’t know how bad it is.Quite simply, our sickness benefit system was not designed to handle the age of diagnosis which we now live in.”Badenoch indicated that the Conservatives would significantly scale back which conditions entitled people to help.
“We are going to review which conditions the states treats as disabilities when it comes to benefits,” she said.“All of us will have physical and mental challenges at some point in our lives, but in an age in which one in four people now self-report as disabled, it’s clear that we are now going to have to draw a line on what health issues the state can support.”She said the changes would be needed to help the UK better absorb what she called “shocks” to the economy – using Brexit as an example of this alongside Covid and the financial crisis.Badenoch suggested a move away from measuring poverty in relative terms (those receiving less than 60% of the median income).“That is not a measure of poverty at all,” she said.
“It is a bad measure, because in a booming economy, as incomes rise, more people can be classed as being in poverty, even though their real income is rising.“We need something better.I long said that Britain is at risk of becoming a welfare state with an economy attached.”In the speech and subsequent media Q&A, Badenoch repeatedly framed the rise in benefit spending as in part a product of choice and abuse of the system, saying many people were turning down work “because they think that those jobs are beneath them”.But she rejected the idea that language about an age of diagnosis and what she again called a “budget for benefits street” could stigmatise people and appear nasty.
“I think that politicians should be careful with language all the time, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong in what I said,” she replied,“We spend a lot of time trying so hard not to upset people, or say anything that might ruffle any feathers, that we end up creating a system that is unworkable,I won’t apologise for the language I use,I’m actually very careful with my language, but I use language that’s going to cut through,”
Christmas dinner in a restaurant or kitchen carnage at home?
Christmas dinner? At home or in a restaurant? It’s at this juncture of the year, with Christmas dinner hurtling towards us, that you may well find yourself muttering: “Well, we could always go out!” Who could blame any home cook for wanting to shove this great burden on to someone else’s back, especially since every culinary TV show, magazine article and advertising break since mid-November has hammered home what a colossal faff Christmas dinner actually is. No, it’s not just a slightly posh Sunday roast with a few more guests.Christmas dinner in the UK these days is more like a cross between dinner at Balmoral and 4 July at Mar-a-Lago. The table has to be heaving with holly-embossed crockery, the carrots must be bejewelled in star anise and Himalayan pink pepper, the turkey has to be brined in aromatic salt water and your roasties shaken in polenta and smothered in duck fat. If you’re the designated martyr organising proceedings, field-marshalling everything and cooking this tinsel-strewn palaver, it is common to try instead to divert it all to the local pub, where they’re doing “turkey and all the trimmings” for £79 a head (and including a cracker and a pre-dinner “glass of something sparkly”)
Christmas mixers: Thomasina Miers’ recipes for fire cider and spiced cocktail syrup
Despite being known for shaking a cocktail on Instagram now and again, very little will induce me to last-minute cocktailery if I am entertaining a serious number of guests. However, a good drinks recipe that you can prep in advance is a lovely thing to dazzle your friends with and to gift over Christmas. With or without alcohol, this pair look good and taste delicious, and should help everyone ease into the December festivities.This makes a delicious base to which you can add soda, juice, tonic or any other mixer for a thirst-quenching and delicious alternative to an alcoholic drink in the evening. Prep 15 minInfuse 1 week+ Makes 500ml bottleFor the fire cider2 jalapeños, finely sliced seeds and all1 large thumb of ginger, peeled and finely sliced2 branches fresh rosemary1 cinnamon stick3 heaped tbsp honey2 garlic cloves, peeled1 thumb turmeric, peeled and finely sliced (optional)350ml apple cider vinegarFor the cranberry fizz (serves 1)30ml fire cider 75ml cranberry juice1 wedge of orange Sparkling water, to topMix all the ingredients for the fire cider in a sterilised 500ml jar, then put in the fridge for at least week, and preferably three to extract the most goodness from the ingredients
Jamie Oliver to relaunch Italian restaurant chain in UK six years after collapse
Jamie Oliver is to revive his Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain in the UK, more than six years after the celebrity chef’s brand collapsed.Jamie’s Italian is poised to be relaunched in the spring, starting with a restaurant in London’s Leicester Square.Oliver’s return to the UK restaurant scene is being backed by Brava Hospitality Group – the private equity-backed group that runs the Prezzo chain – which intends to relaunch the brand across the UK.“As a chef, having the chance to return to the high street is incredibly important to me,” he said. “I will drive the menus, make sure the sourcing is right, the staff training, and ensure the look and feel of the restaurant is brought to life in the right way
Maximum protein, minimal carbs: why gym bros are flocking to Australia’s charcoal chicken shops
From El Jannah’s webpage dedicated to ‘health-conscious individuals’ to Habibi Chicken’s ‘Gym Bro’ pack, businesses are catering to the post-leg day crowdGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailPopularised in Australia by Balkan and Lebanese immigrants, charcoal chicken has long been part of our comfort-food canon. But recently, the humble chicken shop has had a renaissance – driven by fresh takes on the classics, the expansion of longstanding chains and a surge of protein-conscious gym goers.In June, charcoal chicken chain El Jannah, which has more than 50 stores, launched a page on its website dedicated to protein and macros – complete with recommendations for the best post-leg day order – a clear nod to the fitness crowd.In Wagga Wagga, Habibi Chicken has a “Gym Bro” pack – a half or quarter chicken, tabbouleh, pita and toum, no chips. Co-owner Mariam Rehman says it’s a top seller, designed to maximise protein and reduce carbs
Helen Goh’s recipe for edible Christmas baubles | The sweet spot
These edible baubles make a joyful addition to the Christmas table or tree. Soft, chewy, marshmallow-coated Rice Krispies are studded with pistachios and cranberries, chocolate and ginger, or peppermint candy cane; they’re as fun to make as they are to eat, and they make a perfect little gift. To add a ribbon for hanging, cut small lengths of ribbon, then loop and knot the ends. Push the knotted end gently into the top of each ball while it’s still pliable, then reshape around it, so it holds the knot securely as it sets. Alternatively, wrap each bauble in cellophane, then gather at the top and tie with a ribbon, leaving a long loop for hanging
A gentle trade in edible gifts binds communities together
A guest at our restaurant recently told me about her mother’s seasonal side hustle, though no one would have dared call it that out loud: in the weeks before Christmas, she became a quiet merchant of puddings. The proper kind of pudding, too: all dense but not leaden, heavy with prunes and warm with careful spicing.As December crept in, forgotten cousins and semi-estranged uncles seemed to find reasons to drop by her place. She never advertised the fact, of course, but everyone knew that if you came bearing even a modest offering, you might just leave with a pudding wrapped in waxed paper and still warm with possibility. The exchanges were subtle
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