Labour descends into bitter civil war as Starmer braces for huge rebellion on benefit cuts
Controversial changes spark furious backlash, with dozens of party MPs trying to kill the move
Keir Starmer is gearing up for a major Labour rebellion (Image: Getty)
More than 100 Labour MPs are plotting a mass rebellion against the Government’s welfare cuts. Senior backbenchers are leading on an amendment, set to be published on Tuesday, which intends to kill the proposed changes.
At least 10 select committee chairs are said to be among the rebels. A senior MP said: “The Government hasn’t listened to private concerns, so now will have to address these very public ones.” One newspaper has been told that MPs – including ministers – considering rebelling against the Government’s welfare reforms on Tuesday next week have been threatened with losing the whip and even, according to two sources, deselection.
Under the proposals, ministers will limit eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the main disability payment in England, and limit the sickness-related element of Universal Credit (UC).
However, the MPs aim to pass a so-called “reasoned amendment”, which halts the passage of a Bill.
It means the Bill would not pass its third reading, saying that provisions “have not been subject to a formal consultation with disabled people, or co-produced with them, or their carers”.
It also says the Bill should not pass until the Office for Budget Responsibility can publish its analysis of the employment impact of the changes this autumn.
It added that the majority of the additional employment support funding will not be in place until the end of the decade.
Liz Kendall has insisted the Government’s flagship welfare reforms will create the “better future we seek to build for our constituents and our country”, as she faced backbench Labour MPs.
The Work and Pensions Secretary’s appearance at a Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) meeting on Monday night came after Labour backbenchers in the Commons warned that the reforms would lead to “appalling poverty”.
Ms Kendall’s appearance at the committee was her first since the Government published its welfare reform Bill. It was also the first since Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft resigned as a government whip because of her concerns over the package.
Ministers have previously said the reforms could save up to £5billion a year.
But in a sign that the Government is now emphasising a moral case for the Bill over its financial savings, Ms Kendall told MPs: “The path to a fairer society – one where everyone thrives, where people who can work get the support they need, and where we protect those who cannot – that is the path we seek to build with our reforms.
“Our plans are rooted in fairness – for those who need support and for taxpayers.
“They are about ensuring the welfare state survives, so there is always a safety net for those who need it. They’re about putting proper safeguards in place to protect the most vulnerable.
“But above all, they are about our belief that everyone can fulfil their potential and live their hopes and dreams when, collectively, we provide them with real opportunities and support. This is the better future we seek to build for our constituents and our country.”