Badenoch denies housing benefit cuts plan would make people homeless

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has denied her party's plans to cut housing benefit would make people homeless, but suggested some would have to "move somewhere cheaper".

At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, she had challenged Andy Burnham to commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, saying the cost could be covered by cuts to welfare.

The Conservatives have claimed £4bn could be cut from the housing benefit bill, in part by allowing tenancies in areas where housing is expensive to come to an end.

Asked whether she would be willing to make people homeless in order to fund defence, Badenoch told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the party would "protect existing tenants".

During PMQs, Burnham argued national security "can't come at the expense of social security".

He repeated that a target date for increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP would be announced in the spending review in the spring.

The PM insisted he would get the welfare bill down in "the Labour way", by boosting council housebuilding, supporting young people into work and providing more mental health support.

National security can't come at expense of social security, Burnham says