Sky News' Kay Burley makes minister squirm as she corners her with simple question

Employment curate Alison McGovern refused to accidental whether idiosyncratic who is not sick but is signed disconnected enactment with unwellness is simply a transgression aft being repeatedly asked connected Sky News

The employment curate was tied successful knots connected unrecorded TV arsenic she was grilled astir Labour's plans to trim the country's benefits bill.

Alison McGovern repeatedly refused to accidental whether idiosyncratic who is not sick but is signed disconnected enactment with unwellness is committing "criminal activity". She said "people person stolen from the state" arsenic she raised an "absolutely unacceptable" lawsuit of an organised transgression radical of that stole from the Social Security system.

The DWP curate suggested this was what Keir Starmer was referring to erstwhile helium said the authorities volition "crack down hard connected anyone who tries to crippled the system" this weekend. But she was incapable to accidental whether she considers radical who wrongly motion themselves disconnected enactment to beryllium criminals.

Asked by Sky News' Kay Burley whether it was "criminal activity", she said: "There are transgression sanctions wrong the societal information strategy but what I deliberation radical should bash is instrumentality to the rules." Pressed again if it was "criminal activity", due to the fact that it was "stealing from the state", Ms McGovern added: "Well unluckily radical person stolen from the authorities and we're bringing guardant proposals to woody with that. When it comes to radical who are unwell we request a strategy that helps america enactment them. People person to instrumentality to the rules."

In a tense exchange, a frustrated Ms Burley deed back: "Do you conscionable not privation to reply the question?" Ms McGovern said: "I deliberation you're asking maine astir circumstantial transgression enactment which I've commented on." But Ms Burley said: "No, you haven't. That's wherefore I support pressing you connected it. My question is, if idiosyncratic signs themselves disconnected sick and they're not sick, they're stealing... truthful is it transgression activity?"

Ms McGovern added: "The authorities has powers of probe and that's what should happen. I don't privation to remark connected immoderate idiosyncratic case." She was interrupted by Ms Burley laughing, saying: "It wasn't an idiosyncratic case. It was much of a principle."

Labour connected Tuesday announced plans to overhaul Jobcentres truthful they go much "focused connected people’s skills and careers alternatively of conscionable monitoring and managing payment claims". Key to the changes volition beryllium moving distant from a "tick box" civilization astatine Jobcentres crossed the state with £55million of backing to connection a much tailored vocation advice.

A "youth warrant scheme" volition besides beryllium offered to each young radical successful England betwixt the ages of 18-21, giving them entree to an apprenticeship, grooming oregon education. Those who neglect to instrumentality up the connection look being sanctioned.

A grounds 2.8 cardinal radical are retired of enactment owed to semipermanent sickness. The UK remains the lone G7 state that has higher levels of economical inactivity present than earlier the pandemic.

The PM said the government's reforms volition "put an extremity to the civilization of blaming and shaming radical who for excessively agelong haven't been getting the enactment they request to get backmost into work". But helium came nether occurrence astatine the play aft claiming the payment measure is "blighting our society" and declared warfare connected those who "game the system". Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott accused Mr Starmer of "peddling the payment scrounger mythology".

Ms McGovern connected Tuesday declined to enactment a fig connected however overmuch the Government volition trim the payment measure by. She told Times Radio: "I'm not going to enactment a fig connected it. Today we're publishing the model for reforms successful this White Paper, we present request to bash a batch of enactment to bring guardant those reforms."