See this chart, taking a more macro perspective, from the FT. It suggests that the whole narrative about benefits is missing a room-sized elephant.

Pensioner benefits are never really discussed other than the occasional “we must do something about the cost of the triple lock” kind of comment.

They’re insatiable. Whatever the tax level is, they will find an angle to say it’s too high. Meanwhile, there is the reality that it is very low by international standards, and rising in future to levels still below other large European countries (where tax is also likely to rise further in future).

Here’s the front page of one of the UK’s largest newspapers. Is there nothing else more important going on? Clearly not for them. Not war, not Trump.

For example, here is the Sunday Telegraph Editor. Yes entirely balanced and normal - he does not need a swivel-eyed loon leading the Tories to do this.

Is this headline shit? Yes it fucking is.