SECURITY Minister Dan Jarvis has repeatedly denied that Chancellor Rachel Reeves misled the public during her spring statement by claiming that people will be £500 better off under Labour.

He also said the government is looking to tighten rules on MPs’ expenses claims after it was revealed that Labour MP Taiwo Owatemi claimed £900 in “pet rent” for her cockapoo dog.

Asked if the Chancellor was telling lies, Jarvis told GB News: “She isn’t and I think that is an unfair and unreasonable criticism.

“The Chancellor is doing a good job under very difficult circumstances. Yes, she’s had to make some difficult choices. Yes, there have been some criticisms around those choices, but in large part, this is clearing up the mess that we inherited.

“That is what this government will continue to do to ensure that we take the tough decisions, decisions that the previous government shied away from, not least in terms of things like welfare reform, the measures that we’ve announced with regard to NHS England.

“…there is good news as well. I mean, look at what the OBR said in terms of the work that we’re doing on planning reform that would deliver a £6 billion uplift to our economy.”

Pressed again if the claim was misleading, he said: “I know as a constituency MP that we are still living through the legacy of the cost-of-living crisis, and times are very tough for lots of people, but that is precisely why the government is making tough choices.

“That is why we are reforming welfare, because, let’s be honest about it, a significant amount of money has been invested into welfare without the reforms that need to go with it.

“Look at the money that we’ve invested into the NHS, but the value that that is now adding, in terms of reduced waiting lists.

“I completely back what the Chancellor has said. She will look at this in the round. She will look at the costs that people will have to cover.

“She absolutely acknowledges the difficult circumstances that we’re operating in is why the government is taking tough choices to fix the foundations of our economy so that we’ve got the resource available there to invest in our public services for the benefit of the public.”

Asked about Owatemi’s claim for her dog, Jarvis said: “I completely understand why you’ve asked me about that, and I’m sure the public will be wondering why it is the case that an MP is able to do that.

“That’s why the government argued to make representations to IPSA, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority about the rules, because we’re concerned about rules.

“We don’t think that it should be the case that somebody could do what’s happened here.

“It is important to make the point that under the existing law, she hasn’t done anything wrong, but we don’t think the rules are right, and that’s why we’re going to raise concerns with IPSA about it.”