Labour MPs signal rebellion over welfare cuts

A fig of Labour MPs person said they volition ballot against the government's projected cuts to disablement benefits.

Nine Labour MPs voiced interest implicit the government's plans to marque it harder for radical with little terrible conditions to assertion disablement payments during a statement connected Wednesday.

Calls to rethink the benefits cuts, arsenic good arsenic different policies, person been increasing aft Labour mislaid 187 assembly seats during the section predetermination past week.

Disability curate Sir Stephen Timms told the MPs the extremity of the reforms was to marque definite the payment strategy was "financially sustainable successful the agelong term".

In March, the authorities announced a large payment shake-up aimed astatine redeeming wealth and supporting radical who tin enactment to find jobs.

Ministers said changes to a cardinal disablement payment called idiosyncratic independency outgo (Pip) and cosmopolitan recognition (UC) would prevention astir £5bn a twelvemonth by the extremity of 2030 and get much radical into work.

Overall, the authorities spends £65bn a twelvemonth connected wellness and disability-related benefits. Before the authorities announced the Pip and UC changes, this was projected to summation to £100bn by 2029.

The authorities estimated that 3.2 cardinal families could beryllium worse disconnected arsenic a effect of the reforms, portion 3.8 cardinal families volition beryllium amended disconnected by 2030.

The authorities is expected to walk a caller instrumentality to marque the payment changes, giving MPs a accidental to ballot connected the plans.

Speaking during the statement successful Westminster Hall, Diane Abbott, the Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said the authorities was "making a conscious prime to equilibrium its books connected the backs of radical connected welfare".

Ian Byrne, who represents Liverpool West Derby, said helium would "swim done vomit to ballot against" projected payment changes.

Labour MPs Richard Burgon, Rachael Maskell, Andy McDonald, Cat Eccles, Nadia Whittome, Imran Hussain, Steve Witherden and Ian Lavery besides said they would ballot against the government's proposals.

They were joined by John McDonnell, an autarkic MP for Hayes and Harlington who had the whip removed by Labour for rebelling against the authorities implicit the two-child payment cap.

A fig of different Labour MPs person besides indicated they are minded to reason the benefits cuts successful comments astatine events, successful articles for section papers, arsenic good arsenic connected societal media.

Disability curate Sir Stephen Timms defended the proposals, saying it was not sustainable for payment spending to emergence astatine the existent rate.

"The existent strategy produces mediocre employment outcomes, precocious economical inactivity, debased surviving standards, precocious costs to the taxpayer. It needs to change," helium said.

"We privation a much proactive, pro-work strategy that supports radical amended and supports the system arsenic well."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has travel nether expanding unit to alteration people connected immoderate argumentation decisions.

At Prime Minister Questions connected Wednesday, Sir Keir defended the decision to axe wintertime substance payments for millions of pensioners.

It came aft a radical of astir 45 Labour MPs representing seats successful bluish England and the Midlands joined those urging the authorities to rethink the move.

The planned changes to disablement benefits could go the adjacent large governmental flashpoint, with authorities apt to beryllium brought to the House of Commons successful June.

The BBC has been told immoderate imaginable rebels are being assured they won't suffer the enactment whip if they abstain – oregon marque themselves scarce – erstwhile the ballot comes.

The authorities is not astatine hazard of defeat, fixed Labour has a ample majority, but a sizable rebellion could amusement the grade of the discontent wrong the party.

Senior curate Pat McFadden said "we person to triumph the combat for Britain's future" portion speaking astatine the Parliamentary Labour Party's archetypal gathering since the section elections, enactment sources said.

The Cabinet Office curate criticised Reform UK, including the caller politician of Greater Lincolnshire, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who said her enactment would "reset Britain to its glorious past" successful her triumph speech.

McFadden said: "Labour is ever astatine its champion erstwhile we look to the future. This is the combat of our lives, this is the generational combat successful this caller governmental era.

"I privation to archer you we person to instrumentality connected this caller combat for the aboriginal - and we person to win."