Richard Madeley tears apart Labour with just two words in brutal GMB clash

Richard Madeley issued a devastating three-word verdict over Labour's current stance of reforming welfare payments. Pat McFadden appeared on Good Morning Britain just days after declaring reform of the welfare system "must happen". The Work and Pensions Secretary has vowed to make changes to ensure people get the help they need and to address the rising cost of benefits.

On Wednesday's instalment of the ITV programme, presenter Susanna Reid questioned what the Labour government is doing to cut the welfare system. He explained that a "really important" reform currently going through is the change to the universal credit system. "It deals with some of the incentives that we've had in the system to people declaring themselves unfit for work to double their money," McFadden said.

"We've changed those incentives so that there is a smaller gap between what people get on standard universal credit and the health element of universal credit."

In terms of support, the politician claimed the system has been "too ready" to sign people off sick and never contacting them again.

He continued: "We are putting a lot of extra money into getting support to people to invite them in, to not regard their sickness condition as permanent, but to ask them if they are interested in finding work, to support them in getting work. That has not been happening before."

After McFadden insisted the government is reforming the system in both incentives and support, Madeley claimed the "overwhelming" impression in this country is that Labour is "hobbled" and "limited" by how far it can reform welfare payments because of its backbenchers.

"Your backbenchers simply won't allow anything too radical to get through," the presenter declared.

McFadden hit back: "We've had to take this forward in a different way, we're doing that. Reform of the system is constant as I said. Through the youth hubs we are announcing today, which is extra help to get young people into work."

"You've mentioned that and it is important," Reid interjected before moving the conversation in a different direction.

In an interview with the BBC, McFadden admitted he wouldn't rule out tightening eligibility for Universal Credit and ending health-related Universal Credit payments for claimants under the age of 22.

"Look, I'm not ruling anything out. Welfare reform is really important," he said. "At the moment, this system is unhealthy for people and in the long run is pushing up the benefits bill because we're not getting the help to people who could work."