John Torode says he was not informed of MasterChef sacking

TV presenter John Torode said he learned from reading media reports about his “sacking” from MasterChef for allegedly using a racist term, but added “it’s time to pass the cutlery to someone else”.

The celebrity chef, 59, said he had not heard from the BBC or the production company Banijay UK, and repeated that he still had no recollection of the accusation against him, in a statement posted on his Instagram account on Tuesday evening.

BBC director-general Tim Davie had earlier condemned the “serious racist term” the Australian-born presenter was alleged to have used, after it was announced his contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.

Torode began presenting the BBC cooking contest alongside Gregg Wallace in 2005.

On Monday night, Torode confirmed Torode was the subject of an allegation of using racist language that was upheld as part of a review carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin into Wallace’s behaviour while filming the programme over 19 years.

He then posted a lengthy statement on Instagram on Tuesday evening, saying: “Although I haven’t heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay – I am seeing and reading that I’ve been ‘sacked’ from MasterChef and I repeat that I have no recollection of what I’m accused of.

“The enquiry could not even state the date or year of when I am meant to have said something wrong.

“I’d hoped that I’d have some say in my exit from a show I’ve worked on since its relaunch in 2005, but events in last few days seem to have prevented that.”

Torode said Celebrity MasterChef and two Christmas specials which he recently filmed “will be my last”. It is not clear if the BBC will air these shows.

He went on: “Personally, I have loved every minute working on MasterChef, but it’s time to pass the cutlery to someone else. For whoever takes over, love it as I have.

“I will watch fondly from afar as I now focus on the many other exciting projects that I have been working towards. My tummy will be grateful for a rest after 20 years of eating, but what a joy it has been.”

In an interview with BBC News earlier on Tuesday evening, Davie said he was not directly involved with the matter but was told of the recommendation to not renew Torode’s contract and was “happy that the team were taking action”.

He went on: “It’s really important that we are taking this seriously. It’s a reset where we make sure that people are living up to the values we expect across the board.”

Asked exactly what Torode said, Davie replied: “I’m not going to give you the exact term, because I think, frankly it was serious racist term, a serious racist term, which does not get to be acceptable in any way, shape or form.”

A statement from production company Banijay UK released earlier said: “In response to John Torode’s statement, it is important to stress that Banijay UK takes this matter incredibly seriously.

“The legal team at Lewis Silkin that investigated the allegations relating to Gregg Wallace also substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018.

“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint.

“Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”

The Lewis Silkin report, commissioned by Banijay UK, found 45 out of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated, alongside two standalone allegations made against other people, including one for using racist language.

Torode previously said he had “no recollection of the incident” and was “shocked and saddened” by the allegation.

A BBC spokesperson said: “John Torode has identified himself as having an upheld allegation of using racist language against him.

“This allegation – which involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace – was investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin. John Torode denies the allegation.

“He has stated he has no recollection of the alleged incident and does not believe that it happened. He also says that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment.

“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously. We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and, as we have already said, we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”

Davie insisted MasterChef does have a future with the broadcaster beyond 2028, when its current deal runs out, while presenting the corporation’s 2024/2025 annual report earlier on Tuesday.

Davie said: “I absolutely think it does (have a future), I think a great programme that’s loved by audiences is much bigger than individuals.

“It absolutely can survive and prosper, but we’ve got to make sure we’re in the right place in terms of the culture of the show.”

Downing Street has said it “utterly condemns” any instance of racist language after the allegation made against Torode was upheld.

“When it comes to racism (it) clearly has no place at the BBC or anywhere in society, and we utterly condemn any instances of racist language or abuse in the strongest possible terms,” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said.

“And it’s obviously up to the BBC, who are operationally independent from Government, to take forward any necessary next steps.”

The BBC said it has not yet made a final decision on whether to broadcast a series of MasterChef filmed last year with Wallace and Torode.

A spokesperson for the corporation said: “We know this is disappointing for fans of the show and those who took part, and at the appropriate time Banijay UK will consult further with the amateur contestants.”

In 2022, Torode was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to food and charity.

He became a familiar face to TV audiences in 1996 as the resident chef on ITV’s This Morning, before joining MasterChef alongside Wallace when it was known as MasterChef Goes Large.

UK could see fourth heatwave before downpours and thunderstorms

Parts of the UK could see yet another heatwave by the end of this week, according to forecasters.

Britons are also being warned of thunderstorms in places throughout the week, with the potential for “torrential downfalls” over the weekend and possible weather warnings to be issued.

Rain might be welcome for some, coming amid warnings from the Environment Agency that up to five more regions could be in a drought by September, with more hosepipe bans on the way.

Much of the UK experienced a brief reprieve from the hot weather on Tuesday as the third heatwave of the summer started to come to an end. Temperatures exceeded 30C in several parts of the country and broke multiple records over the weekend.

But just as Britons are recovering from the weekend’s intense heat, the Met Office has revealed they should start bracing themselves for yet another potential heatwave.

Meteorologist Tom Morgan told The Independent that Tuesday has been a “much cooler and showery day”, with much of the country seeing showers and rainy spells.

He predicted a “changeable” week ahead as well, but said that temperatures will “rebound” from Tuesday to above average once again.

On the question of a fourth heatwave, he said: “From a technical point of view, there is the potential for some places to reach heatwave status.

“But it’s not going to be anything like the most recent heatwave, which saw temperatures reach the high 20s or low 30s.

“Currently, we’re expecting temperatures of 29C in south east England on Thursday and Friday, then it might well be 28C or similar on Saturday.

“Most likely, it’s a few individual weather stations that reach the criteria for a heatwave… but that won’t be for everyone, it will be a small minority of places where there is a technical heatwave.”

The Met Office defines a heatwave as “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity”. In the UK, hot weather can only be classified as a heatwave if it meets a daily maximum temperature consistently for three days in a row, with the threshold varying across different parts of the UK between 25C and 28C.

The peak of the last heatwave hit on Saturday, when Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales all recorded their warmest day of the year so far – with Scotland and Northern Ireland reaching temperatures they have not hit in years. Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire hit 30.8C while Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands reached 30.4C, Cardiff’s Bute Park 30.2C and Castlederg in Co Tyrone 27.1C.

A host of warnings were issued over dangers arising out of the hot temperatures. These included amber and yellow heat health alerts in place across England – warning of the potential for a rise in deaths – while fire chiefs urged people to stay safe over the increased risk of wildfires, with blazes breaking out in London, Surrey, and Perth in Scotland.

But Mr Morgan offered reassurance that there is “nothing like that on the way”. He said that “there will be essentially fairly typical warm summer weather this week, as opposed to the recent weather where we’ve seen it hot and impactful”, citing the uncomfortable sleeping conditions many have been complaining of.

The summer’s third heatwave saw a hosepipe ban come into force in Yorkshire, with similar restrictions issued for Kent and Sussex from 18 July following one of the UK’s driest springs on record. Currently, three areas of the UK – Cumbria and Lancashire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire – are in drought. And millions more people could face these conditions across the Midlands and central southern regions this year, under the Environment Agency’s reasonable worst cast scenario.

However, Mr Morgan said the UK is set for a wetter week this week. Many Britons should brace for thunderstorms, he warned, with weather warnings potentially being issued in the coming days.

The meteorologist explained that much of the UK should see “dry, warmer weather” on Wednesday, before the end of the week becomes more showery.

There is currently a fairly “isolated” thunderstorm warning in place for Northern Ireland, a region that will again see a risk of thunderstorms on Thursday, he said.

Then, central and southern England as well as Wales are all set for thunderstorms and “really torrential downfalls” into the weekend.

He said: “There will be further thunderstorms in the week ahead and indeed the weekend. It is a warm, humid picture into the weekend…

“Anyone with outdoor plans should keep an eye on the forecast for the week ahead.

“There is the potential for weather warnings in the lead up to the weekend.

“It’s looking much wetter, and potentially very wet in places, compared to the weekend just gone.”

Cole Palmer is England’s cheat code for World Cup success

In the midst of an 18-game goal drought, questions began to rise over Cole Palmer’s potency. With a supersonic rise to prominence comes the inevitable doubt that such quality can be sustained.

The Manchester City youth product had set expectations high. His debut season at Chelsea single-handedly justified Todd Boehly’s strategy of heavy investment in high potential, registering 33 goal contributions in 34 Premier League games in 2023/24. And while his mid-term tally of 14 goals this year was by no means indicative of a one-season wonder, the barren run that followed led the naysayers to become emboldened.

When his dry spell eventually came to an end on 4 May – netting a last-second penalty as Chelsea capitalised on Liverpool’s post-crowning hangover – there was a real feeling of a weight being lifted.

The 23-year-old had come out the other side of his first true patch of adversity as a senior player, the significance of which was represented by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez running the length of the pitch to celebrate with him.

Palmer has looked his old self since that Sunday afternoon at Stamford Bridge, crucially re-stamping his mark as a big game player. His dazzling second-half display in the Conference League final made such a fact apparent, outshining his opposite number – a rejuvenated 33-year-old Spanish playmaker Isco – to spearhead a stunning turnaround against Real Betis.

But it was stateside, against the best team on the planet, where the Englishman made his biggest statement.

There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe Palmer’s scything of Paris Saint-Germain. Luis Enrique had seemingly built an unbeatable footballing force, one that had conquered Europe after ridding itself of a reliance on superstars, instead shifting to an ideology that focused on the all-powerful collective. Ironically, it was an individual who proved their undoing when world champion status was put on the line.

A tournament tarnished by its unplayable heat, the Club World Cup culminated in the coldest performance of them all. Palmer was unfazed by the reputation PSG had built, but invigorated by how quickly his side had been written off. “Impossible,” they said – but is there such a thing in football? What followed was an outright humbling, with Palmer at the heart of all three Chelsea goals that went unanswered on their journey to immortality.

“Everyone’s talked a lot of s*** about us this season, but I feel like we’re going in the right direction,” Palmer said post-match. That wasn’t from the media training handbook. It was instead a moment of refreshing honesty from a player who has been wrongly doubted for half a year, but evidently hasn’t let the critics hurt his progression or on-pitch psyche.

Enzo Maresca will hope such an astonishing solo performance is a sign of glory to come. As will Thomas Tuchel.

Palmer has already conquered New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to win a “World Cup”. Next year, England football team boss Tuchel will be praying for a repeat. The proper World Cup 2026 will reach its climax at the same location – an admittedly questionable choice, given its inconvenient location, lack of roof and unfit-for-purpose facilities – but regardless, England will strive to be there.

The wealth of talent in England’s ranks is arguably second to none. Position for position, Tuchel has serious depth in quality at his disposal, a fact made even more encouraging by the squad’s relatively low average age. This era of England feels destined to win a major tournament – but we’ve been here before.

The cautionary tale of the “golden generation” has long taught England, as a nation, to manage its expectations. The mid-2000s squad that included the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes among a collection of world-beaters – that never got a sniff of ending however many years of hurt.

This current crop, however, has. The wounds of back-to-back Euros final defeats still sting, but there is an increasing sense of belief that this England generation can break the now six-decade trophyless curse. That’s because, at least under Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions had a knack for getting the job done, even when performances had a lot to be desired. At Euro 2024, there wasn’t one game where England looked like potential champions. They still reached the final.

Whether Tuchel can emulate the same ugliness and grit that got England to within 90 minutes of major silverware remains a key topic of debate. He was a master of tournament football at club level, famously guiding an unfancied Chelsea to the Champions League in 2020/21, but he’s a novice in the international game. It’s a completely different kettle of fish, and if his most recent international friendlies are to go by – an intensely underwhelming 1-0 win over minuscule Andorra and a shock 3-1 home loss to Senegal – Tuchel is still going through his teething stage, just 331 days before the 2026 World Cup gets underway.

If England are going to achieve their crowning glory in 12 months, their fairytale ending to so much footballing pain, Tuchel will need something special. He’ll need a man for the occasion. Palmer, with insider knowledge of how a Maga World Cup works and feels, could well be that man.

The Blues talisman has yet to fully establish himself as an indispensable part of the England setup – a common struggle for younger players in international football, which naturally favours the more experienced. But he’s already proven that he can deliver when it matters for England.

He came off the bench to score the equaliser in Berlin last year, firing in from range to provide a Southgate side devoid of any inspiration a glimpse of desperately needed hope in the final. His contribution proved in vain for England’s Euros dream, Mikel Oyarzabal instead snatching the title for Spain late on, but what it showed about the player still rings true.

It’s this big-game energy that could make Palmer the key to England’s salvation for Tuchel. His supreme ability is complemented by a mentality that pays no interest to outside noise, staying unapologetically true to himself rather than bowing to the perfect PR image imposed on modern footballers.

It makes him a uniquely perilous threat, dangerously immune to the pressure – his “Cold Palmer” nickname is apt – and one whose mind is genuinely hard to get into as an opponent.

In light of his Club World Cup masterclass, it’s clearer than ever that Palmer can handle the heat. Levels are shown when difficult circumstances arise, and while many of the game’s top stars faltered in the brutal conditions of the US, Palmer looked unaffected.

Expect little to change in a year, which could make Palmer a World Cup cheat code for England.

UK aid cuts ‘careful and responsible’ compared to US, minister claims

The UK’s deep cuts to international aid will be carried out in a “responsible and careful” way – not the “overnight” slashes conducted most obviously by nations such as the US – the government has claimed.

Charities and international aid experts have lined up to decry the UK cuts, first announced in February, which will bring spending from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of gross national income (GNI). A report also published on Tuesday by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact found UK aid spending overseas could fall to as low as 0.24 per cent once spending at home on asylum accommodation was factored in.

But development minister Jenny Chapman has told MPs that “not all aid cuts are the same and I think the way that we’ve done it… is slowly and in a considered way”.

“I would contrast that to the way that others have done it, where medications just stop being distributed overnight, where I know of warehouses with vaccines that there’s no way of distributing,” Baroness Chapman said. “That’s a real problem and that will have a huge impact.”

In the US, Trump cut roughly 80 per cent of foreign aid spending virtually overnight, in a move that could cause 14 million extra deaths by 2030. The speed of the cuts caused chaos as clinics closed, access to lifesaving medicines was disrupted and health staff didn’t know if they could turn up to work one day to the next.

Baroness Chapman added that the withdrawal of the United States from global health funding was proving a “huge problem” but that, “it isn’t possible for us to backfill that capacity sadly”.

Baroness Chapman also confirmed during the session of parliament’s international development committee that a world-leading programme to tackle antimicrobial resistance was being cut and suggested a project giving millions access to contraception was under question.

The scale of the UK cuts means they are expected to hit virtually all programmes. Even when it comes to the global vaccine alliance, Gavi, of which the UK has been a major champion and is now the biggest funder, its contribution this year fell by £400 million.

Baroness Chapman said antimicrobial resistance and the risk of another pandemic were the two biggest threats facing the UK’s health security, but public health and prevention minister Ashley Dalton confirmed during the session that the Fleming programme, which supports countries in Africa and Asia to monitor and prevent antimicrobial resistance, has already been cancelled.

Antimicrobial resistance happens when antibiotics are used too much or incorrectly, causing germs to evolve resistance against them and creating dangerous illnesses that can’t easily be treated with the available drugs. Resistant bug strains can cross borders and the phenomenon is estimated to kill a million people a year.

Asked about a programme to family planning access and information to 2.6 million women and girls across West and Central Africa, Baroness Chapman said she was “looking at it”.

The minister has previously signalled that specialised programmes for women and girls may be hit hard by the cuts.

This piece has been produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid series

Queen made honorary freeman and liveryman of stationers and newspapers

Queen Camilla has been made an honorary freeman and liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers in recognition of her work to promote literacy and reading.

Camilla, who is known for her love of books, was presented with the company’s traditional livery gown by the Master, Doug Wills, at a historic ceremony at Stationers’ Hall in London.

Asked to be formal witnesses at the ceremony were Lord Sedwill, former cabinet secretary, the head of the Navy First Sea Lord Gwyn Jenkins and The Independent’s editor-in-chief Geordie Greig, representing the media.

The Stationers’ company dates back to 1403 and brings together those who work in the paper, print, publishing, broadcasting and online media industries.

The Queen founded The Queen’s Reading Room – previously The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room – a charity celebrating literature and encouraging people to read more widely.

As part of the coronation celebrations last year, she also launched the Coronation Libraries project to create new school libraries and transform existing ones.

During her visit to the Stationers, the Queen was shown the company’s copyright registers dating back to 1557. This included the 1623 entry recording the right to print the works of William Shakespeare, now known as the First Folio.

After the ceremony with Wills – editor emeritus of the Evening Standard and The Independent – Camilla toured the hall, and met Matt Stockl, a former apprentice of The Queen’s Royal Bindery Apprenticeship Scheme at Windsor Castle, which was launched in partnership with the Stationers’ Company to help preserve traditional bookbinding skills.

Mr Stockl had been commissioned to bind A Shakespearean Botanical, written by Stationer Margaret Willes, which was presented to the Queen by Zachary Welsh, a pupil from Leigh Stationers’ Primary Academy.

The Queen spoke to organisers and past winners of the Shine School Media Awards, which celebrate pupil-led magazines, newspapers and digital publications.

Abbianca Makoni, who began her media career through an editorial apprenticeship supported by the Stationers’ Company, told the Queen how those early opportunities had helped her build a thriving career.

“It was wonderful to be introduced to the Queen. I was thrilled to tell her about my journey into journalism, which began with an apprenticeship made possible by the Stationers’ Company,” she said.

“Their work shows how investing in young people can create lasting impact.”

Camilla joined members and corporate members of the Stationers’ Company at a reception in the Hall’s garden before departing, where she learned more about the foundation’s charitable work in education and welfare.

She left to a rousing round of three cheers led by staff, members and friends of the company.

When my friends were facing cancer, a community of people stepped up

When I was younger, I used to worry incessantly about my parents getting cancer. I’d lay awake at night, ruminating on what would happen to my brother and I if they did. Who would support us? Thankfully, both are still cancer-free, well into their seventies.

However, now that I’m a parent myself, I worry about my children. Many people believe that cancer only really happens to people in old age, but that’s just not true. One beloved friend’s daughter died of leukaemia in 2020, aged just five; an unthinkable horror that changed the lives of everyone who knew her and her family.

And with Macmillan Cancer Support reporting that almost 3.5 million people in the UK are living with cancer, I also worry about my friends – parents themselves, their lives touched by cancer. One friend sat me down in our favourite local café, our toddlers playing at our feet, to break the news that she was about to undergo a double mastectomy. We cried together.

Another friend, Sarah, a single parent to two teenage girls, was diagnosed with breast cancer the day before we heard that King Charles had cancer, and a month before the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, announced her own diagnosis in March last year. It seemed like cancer was everywhere.

As a result, Sarah put 2024 on hold – she missed her daughter’s last sports day and last concert at primary school and had to find a whole new way of co-ordinating family life.

“I’m lucky in some ways that my children are teenagers, so they are able to look after themselves to some degree – but I’m also a single parent, so there are some things that they can’t do, or struggle with, due to their age,” she tells me.

“I have even set up multiple alarms on our Alexa reminding them to put their packed lunches in their bags or leave for school, just in case I can’t get up.”

Sarah says she thought she knew quite a lot about cancer prior to her diagnosis, but now admits she “really didn’t”. She explains: “There are so many terms and procedures to understand – stages and grades, not to mention over 100 different chemotherapy drugs.”

Sarah tells me about the exhausting cumulative effect of chemotherapy, which she endured every three weeks during her cancer treatment: “After the very first lot, I slept for a few hours and felt much better pretty quickly. For my last rounds, I slept for 48 hours solid and even days later, I needed to have a nap in the middle of the day and was in bed by 8pm.”

Sarah’s now finished chemotherapy and, a year on from her diagnosis, is turning 50. She’s throwing a huge party to celebrate not only the birthday milestone, but getting over this “annus horriblis” – a year she couldn’t have gotten through without the people around her.

“People can do so much for us when we are unwell – and I am forever grateful,” she says. “I’ve been really overwhelmed by the support that my friends have given me; from ferrying around my children to and from after-school events and sleepovers when things get bad, to my 75-year-old neighbour mowing the lawn. One friend popped round with a huge pot of pasta sauce and I even had a gift box from a recruiter at work.”

What talking to my strong, resilient friends about their cancer journeys has made me realise most, is the power of community: for when we receive the worst news imaginable, what we need is people around us to see us through. A community of other women: friends, school mums, neighbours.

They had people willing to make them food, pick up their children, go shopping for them or to just sit with them and listen. They had support when they decided to raise money for cancer support charities, when they did fundraisers such as hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning.

It takes a village to raise a child – and that village will be with you every step of the way when you need them most.

Find out how you can help raise vital funds by hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning. Sign up now on the Macmillan website

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland.

Number of benefits claimants who don’t need to work up by 1m in a year

The number of people claiming benefits with no requirements to be in work has risen to an all-time high, new data from the Department for Work and Pensions shows – climbing by 1 million in the past year alone.

Some 3.6 million people claiming universal credit (UC) are not required to be working or seeking work, according to the latest figures from June, largely because of because of illness or disability, student status, or caring responsibilities. This figure has doubled in less than three years and makes up nearly half (46 per cent) of all 7.9 million claimants.

Its rise is in stark comparison with other conditions of universal credit claimants, which have remained stable since mid-2022.

The jump in benefit claimants who do not have to work or seek work – rising nearly fourfold in just five years – has been a priority for the current Labour government, which has tried to reform work capability assessments.

“The current system focuses on assessing capacity to work instead of on helping people to adjust and adapt to their health condition,” work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said in November, as the DWP’s ‘Get Britain Working Again’ white paper set out to move away from “binary categories” of either fit – or not fit – for work.

Labour has decided to scrap the existing work capability assessments for UC in 2028; and align them with health assessments for Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which is considered a higher bar to entry.

Sir Keir Starmer “absolutely” wants to reuduce the number of immigrants claiming UC, Downing Street said when asked about the figures.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “As we’ve been clear, both in relation to the welfare system. but also in relation to immigration. We both want to see a reduction in migration, through a system that is controlled, selective and fair.

“And we also want to reform the welfare system such that it genuinely supports those who can work into employment.” The PM’s spokesman stressed that illegal migrants cannot claim UC and attacked the “open borders” policy of the last Conservative government.

For the first time, the latest figures from DWP also show the immigration status and ethnicity of people claiming universal credit.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it had published the statistics “following a public commitment to investigate and develop breakdowns of the UC caseload by the immigration status of foreign nationals in receipt of UC”.

Independent MP Rupert Lowe, an ex-member of Reform UK, welcomed the pledge to publish the data, describing it as a “huge win” for those who had “relentlessly pushed for this”.

The vast majority (83.6 per cent) of those on the benefit as of last month were British and Irish nationals and those who live or work in the UK without any immigration restrictions.

This amounted to 6.6 million of the total 7.9 million people on universal credit (UC) in June.

People can only access benefits like UC if they have an immigration status that provides recourse to public funds. For example, asylum seekers cannot claim welfare benefits until they have been successfully granted refugee status.

Aside from British nationals, 770,000 people on the EU Settlement Scheme claim UC benefits, accounting for 9.7 per cent of all claimants.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp MP said that the taxpayer should not subsidise benefits for immigrants; though this system was in place under the Tory government.

“Under Kemi Badenoch, we’ve set out a clear, common-sense position,” he said. “Universal Credit should be reserved for UK citizens only. This is about fairness, responsibility and protecting support for those who’ve contributed to this country.”

Refugees accounted for just 1.5 per cent (118,749) of people on UC, while 0.7 per cent (54,156) were people who had come by safe and legal humanitarian routes including under the Ukraine and Afghan resettlement schemes.

Those seeking asylum are unable to work until they have been successfully granted refugee status.

A further 2.7 per cent (211,090) of UC claimants have indefinite leave to remain in the UK, while 1 per cent had temporary immigration status (limited leave to remain in the UK).

Is it time to give up on the NHS, our national religion?

Sajid Javid makes an unlikely Martin Luther, nailing his theses to the door of a London think tank, calling for a Reformation in the national religion. He was health secretary for only 12 months in the vaccination phase of the coronavirus crisis, but it was long enough for him to think deeply about whether the NHS model was the right one.

As a heretic, he knows that there will be some resistance from the faithful to the message that we can learn something from the way they do things on the continent – which is why he starts his foreword to the Policy Exchange report calling for the abolition of the NHS by claiming that this is the way to restore the health service to its founding principles.

Just as Luther argued that Christianity was basically the right idea, Javid says that “while the strength of our belief in these ideals has not wavered, our ability to deliver them is increasingly being called into question”.

And, just like Luther, Javid says that he and Policy Exchange are simply proposing questions to be debated. But when Javid says the choice is between “putting more and more money into healthcare, funded by yearly tax rises and by diverting essential investment into everything from education to defence towards the NHS” and “reforming how we do healthcare”, it is clear what his preference is.

The timing of Javid’s defiance is interesting. With hospital doctors losing the support of the public, Wes Streeting, Javid’s successor, warned yesterday that strikes would be “a gift to Nigel Farage”.

Streeting argued that the strikes will undermine respect for doctors and weaken support for the idea of the NHS – and “if Labour fail”, he said, Farage will point to that as “proof that the NHS has failed and must now be replaced by an insurance-style system”.

This is where the argument becomes complicated. Drawing dividing lines between Labour and Reform is the Keir Starmer plan to win a second term. The prime minister wants to force Lib Dems, Greens, soft Tories and people who like the NHS to choose between him and Farage at the next election. It is not a terrible strategy: there are lots of voters who are deeply disappointed with the Labour government, but who regard Farage as the electoral equivalent of Satan.

The complication is that Farage has tried to renounce his support for a French-style social insurance model of healthcare. He is aware that the NHS is popular, and that anyone proposing to abolish it will be excommunicated. So his manifesto last year promised a reformed NHS, “still free at the point of delivery”. But Farage went on TV during the campaign to say that he wanted a healthcare system like that in France, “as if it was a private company”.

This year, he said he was “fully, fully aware” that the French system is not completely free at the point of use: “I’m not saying we should absolutely mimic the French system … Let’s have a think about how we do things.”

The best that can be said about Reform’s policy is that it is not entirely clear.

That is probably why it has to be left to former politicians such as Javid to make the argument for change. The Policy Exchange report makes a powerful case, pointing out that the Dutch moved to a social insurance system recently: “In 2006, the Netherlands radically reshaped its healthcare system to involve more competition and greater consumer choice. The reform has been extremely successful and Dutch healthcare costs are proportionately lower than the UK, waiting lists lower and health outcomes generally better.”

What is critically important, as Javid argues, is that the money has to come from somewhere, and a social insurance system shares the cost between the patient and the taxpayer – stating that patients should pay £20 for a GP appointment, for example. This would allow more to be spent overall, more efficiently, and it would protect the budget to some extent from short-term political pressures.

We are probably a long way from such a model being acceptable to the British people, but Streeting is right to argue that doctors’ strikes will take them a step closer to the unthinkable.

It was Nigel Lawson, the Conservative chancellor, who said in his 1992 autobiography, subtitled Memoirs of a Tory Radical, that “the National Health Service is the closest thing the English have to a religion” – but the rest of that sentence was also significant: “… with those who practise in it regarding themselves as a priesthood”.

Streeting may be right that, if the priests of the NHS, the doctors, forfeit the faith of their congregations, a new religion may arise.

But that may not be a bad thing – even if Farage once supported it.