Pat McFadden: I have not apologised to Rachel Reeves over ‘tax to pay benefits’ text
Welfare secretary Pat McFadden has doubled down on his remarks unearthed in the Mandelson files that “every meeting [he has] is ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’”.
The Cabinet minister was among numerous top officials to have his private messages released in documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s stint as the UK’s Ambassador to the US.
Messages from May last year revealed the loyal Starmer ally blasted the government for “asking the wrong questions” as its attempt at welfare reform was kiboshed by a back-bench rebellion.
McFadden told Morning Wire: “I don’t think there’s any surprise in those texts about my views on things”.
He added: “I’ve been saying we need to change the question that the welfare system asks and I believe that. And we need to change that question from just asking what benefits are you entitled to, to how do we help you change your life.”
The Wolverhampton MP confirmed he had not apologised to Rachel Reeves over the newly-released messages.
In the exchanges, Mandelson was revealed to have shared concerns with McFadden – who was serving in the Cabinet Office at the time before being reshuffled to work and pensions secretary – that he was “very worried about the economy,” adding “confidence is being lost”.
But McFadden insisted on Monday he did not think the change needed required the removal of the Chancellor from her post, adding “she’s a good colleague and a good friend”.
McFadden heads to Arsenal to tout SWAPs
The comments came as the minister met young people at Emirates Stadium who had completed the government’s Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP).
The scheme, which Arsenal completed a hospitality version of, aims to help unemployed benefit claimants learn new skills and find work in industries with local vacancies.
“I think the community arms of major football clubs do a great job,” McFadden said on Monday.
“They do wonderful work and the clubs can reach young people, help expand their confidence and help them with CV writing and so on, and sometimes it can lead to a direct job.”
The government is battling a rising tide against the issue of youth unemployment. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of Neets, otherwise young people not in education, employment or work, soared past 1m in the first three months of 2026.
Former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn has warned the figure could reach 1.25m within five years in a report published at the end of May.