Work and Pensions secretary Stephen Crabb says disability cuts will 'not be going ahead'

Newly-appointed Work and Pensions secretary Stephen Crabb's first order of business is to tackle the disabilities cuts which led his predecessor Iain Duncan Smith to resign. On 19 March, soon after taking up his new role, Crabb confirmed that the cuts will "not be going ahead".

Speaking to Radio Pembrokeshire he said, "We're not going to be going ahead with these cuts to disability benefits that were proposed on budget day." He told the station that the subject was discussed before he took up the position.

"The prime minister has confirmed that himself," he explained. "I was very clear when I discussed the offer of the job this morning we were not going to go ahead with the cuts that were proposed."

Labour is now hoping that the former Wales secretary will make a formal statement about the same before parliament on 21 March. Owen Smith, the shadow Work and Pensions secretary said, "His very first act as secretary of state must be to come to parliament on Monday to announce the full reversal of cruel Tory cuts that will see 370,000 disabled people lose £3,500 a year."

Advising the new secretary, Smith asked him hold his ground against Chancellor Geroge Osborne's controlled Treasury. He said: "Learn to stand up to a Treasury that – on George Osborne's watch – is intent on cutting support for those most in need to pay for tax breaks for those who least need them."

Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is keen that the Chancellor too resigns, having been responsible for the cuts to the personal independence payments (PIP) for the disabled. In an interview with Sky News the leader of Opposition (referring to Duncan Smith) said, "I wonder where his conscience has been hiding for the past six years."

"I think he has done the right thing to resign, because after all this is a man who has presided over some fairly appalling policies but this latest example of cutting the personal independence payments of a very large number of people ... is shocking," he added. "He has resigned, but I really think the problem is the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne."