THIS week sees the start of Universal Credit (UC), a huge change in the way we do benefits and a big moment in the history of the welfare state.

Crucially, UC will make it easier for people to move off benefits and into work. The Government’s intention is that nobody will be worse off in work.

There has been some confusion about how benefit changes will affect pensioners.

The government made a decision to protect pensioners and it has done so with, for example, exemption from the removal of the spare room subsidy.

The winter fuel allowance, free bus passes and free TV licences will remain for elderly people.

Some better off people apparently feel they should surrender their entitlement, but that’s entirely a matter for them.

I spent some time canvassing for the Wiltshire Council unitary elections at the weekend.

Among the issues on the doorstep was wind turbines, a pestilence of the first order. These horrible things only stack up financially if heavily subsidised, are wholly inefficient, degrade the quality of life of people living close by and play a minimal role in securing a sustainable future.

I am very supportive of green energy, not least as we potentially have a lot of it from offshore wind and various forms of tidal power that will reduce our reliance on imported carbon fuels. However, I’m not at all keen on green tokenism, hence my objection to onshore wind turbines.

I spent last week in Europe – Brussels, Luxembourg, Paris and Berlin in as many days – on ministerial business and to discuss the centenary commemoration of the First World War, which I have been given some responsibility for. On Wednesday I was in the dreaded European Parliament, where no self-respecting Eurosceptic should be on his birthday.