Jeremy Corbyn has been touring Scottish safe Labour seats rallying the troops should a general election come. Corbyn has said he is always in general election mode ever since his success at this year's general election. A speech he was due to give was going to mention Labour's policy on lifting the cap on benefits imposed by the current administration.
Indeed journalists were given a copy of the speech which did indeed mention the lifting of the benefit cap. The line in the copy of Corbyn's speech given to journalists read "We will lift the freeze on social security, using part of the billions we set aside for reform in our costed manifesto".
However, when the Labour leader did give his speech he mentioned much Labour policy on other matters but nothing was mentioned of the supposed planned lifting of the benefits freeze.
10 million people on benefits
So it has to be asked because Jeremy Corbyn did not mention the lifting of the benefits freeze, what are the 10 Million People on JSA, ESA, and other benefits to make of this? Did Corbyn forget to read out that part of his speech at the rally in Scotland? Or was it omitted from the speech at the last moment for some reason best known to Corbyn and those who surround him?
Part of Mr. Corbyn's success at the general election where he scared the Tories to within in an inch of their lives was his stance on lifting the benefits freeze.
Also his opposition to cuts which have had a dramatic impact on all those dependent on local council services for example.
Labour has put out a statement saying that Labour still intends to lift the freeze on benefits but seem unsure when this will happen if they are elected into government. Will it be from day one when and if they get into power or will it be a gradual process rolled out in different areas of the UK or in one fell swoop?
Corbyn's silence
I do not doubt Corbyn's for a minute, however, when issues come up, and he appears to be silent on issues like Venezuela and Saddam look alike Nicolas Maduro it does Corbyn no favours. It just gives the right wing press something to aim at and maybe those advising Corbyn should be pointing this out to him.
Has Corbyn thrown the Tories a lifeline in his silence on welfare cuts when the Tories themselves are struggling now to justify the continued freeze on benefits? Probably not because as long as the welfare freeze remains, the Tories will always be seen by many to quote Theresa May as "The nasty party".