8 March 2022

What: Speaking to a meeting on universal credit and mental health, hosted by the all-party parliamentary groups on mental health and universal credit, Jon Ashworth, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, says an inquiry into deaths linked to DWP ‘would be something that I would definitely want to pursue’. Stopping short of saying that Labour would definitely hold an inquiry, he says: ‘We definitely should have a proper inquiry.’ And he promises to speak to Labour MPs John McDonnell, Marsha de Cordova and Debbie Abrahams, who have been calling for an inquiry since 2019.

Why significant: This is believed to be the first time since the 2019 general election, and the subsequent election of Sir Keir Starmer as the party’s new leader, that a Labour shadow minister has publicly supported an inquiry.