CliffNotes
- PM faces rebellion over welfare cuts
- Labour MPs call for reversal in wake of local election losses last month
- Broken DWP not the problem when 10% of individuals hold more than half the wealth in Britain
PM faces rebellion over welfare cuts
What Happened
The prime minister is facing a rebellion from his MPs over planned cuts to welfare that some have warned are “impossible to support” without a “change of direction.”
In a letter to The Guardian, 42 MPs said the proposed cuts worth £5bn a year by 20230 had caused “anxiety and concern among disabled people and their families.”
The MPs urged ministers to delay any decisions until assessments of the potential impact of the cuts on employment and health had been published.
Perspective
- Unrest amongst Labour MPs since heavy losses in last week’s local election
- MPs see it as an austerity measure that will lose the party more votes
- DWP source tells the BBC the measures were an attempt to get more people into work and they understand that there will be concerns
- The government is not at risk of defeat as Labour has a large majority but a rebellion – if big enough – could show the world the extent of discontent within the party
What Comes Next
MPs are expected to vote on a new law that would bring the benefit cuts into effect next month. MPs will get a chance to vote on the plans because the government needs to pass primary legislation to make the changes to welfare payments.
On Wednesday, nine MPS said they would vote against the changes to PIP and Universal Credit.
The legislation is due to be published this month before making its way through Parliament in June.
Alongside the welfare cuts, the government has put forward proposals to encourage more people receiving benefits to find work.
Reactions From The Media
- The Guardian says backbenchers signed a letter calling for a change in the direction of the plans. The paper says the letter from parliamentarians “spans the new intake and veterans, and from the left and right of the party.” It sets the PM up for the biggest rebellion of his premiership.
- The Daily Telegraph says dozens of the “Red Wall Group” – backbenchers from Labour’s North and Midlands heartlands – have joined the rebellion and says Starmer must reverse the policy after last week’s heavy local election losses.
- The Independent says one of the party’s MPs Ian Byrne said he would “swim through vomit to vote against” proposed welfare changes. Speaking in Westminster Hall, Labour’s Bell Ribeiro-Addy said: “My biggest fear overall is that we may ultimately count the cost of these cuts in lost lives.”
- The Canary argues that it is “unlikely that a broken DWP benefits system is the problem when just 10% of individuals hold more than half the wealth in Britain.” It goes on to say that the cuts won’t create jobs – or savings either.