Browsing: UK benefits cuts

Wednesday’s UK news continues to be dominated by the government’s welfare bill after ministers made last-minute concessions to avoid a possible defeat.

The bill passed by 335 votes to 260 – but 49 Labour MPs still voted against the government, while 18 others abstained.

The headlines react to the news that yesterday was the UK’s hottest day of the year so far as Britain battles a second heatwave of the summer. St James’s Park in London saw England’s hottest temperature reach 34.7C. Temperatures are set to cool down across the UK on Wednesday.

The Labour government has made major concessions on its flagship welfare reform bill in a bid to defuse an internal rebellion, particularly around Personal Independence Payment (PIP) changes.

Cliff Notes Sir Keir Starmer’s welfare bill, despite facing a significant rebellion from 49 Labour MPs, passed its first hurdle in the Commons with a…

Rebel Labour MPs received a last-minute concession concerning the welfare bill, ensuring changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility will only follow the completion of the Timms review, due in autumn 2026.

Labour MP Rachael Maskell criticises the government’s welfare reforms as “Dickensian,” urging colleagues to oppose a bill she believes fails to protect the poor.

Tuesday’s front pages are dominated by the proposed welfare bill that MPs will vote on this Tuesday. It’s set to be a tough day for the prime minister as Labour MPs are still considering rebelling over the bill, despite the PM making huge concessions and watering down his controversial plans to trim the ballooning benefits cost.

Several papers continue their coverage of the Glastonbury row after police announced they would open an inquiry into Bob Vylan and Kneecap performances, with punk duo Bob Vylan chanting “death to IDF” and Kneecap calling for a riot. There are further calls for the BBC boss to be punished for streaming the controversial Bob Vylan set despite the chants.

There are a handful of standalone stories, including reports that British doctors and nurses will be prioritised as part of a 10-year plan to curb the number of international hires. The death of Vivienne leads one of the newspapers after new details have emerged, and another paper leads with a report into the treatment of those in care homes during the pandemic.

Many of the newspapers feature images of yesterday’s Wimbledon action, including British tennis star Emma Raducanu’s win. The ongoing UK heatwave finds plenty of space on the front pages, as the country continues to sweat and more health warnings are issued.

Tuesday’s headlines look ahead to the Commons vote on the government’s welfare bill, set to take place later today. It’s set to be a busy day for the prime minister, who could still face a rebellion of sorts with some Labour rebels suggesting they want more concessions on the plans before they cast their vote. The Tories have already announced they’ll be voting against the government’s bill.

Energy prices will fall from Tuesday for 21 million households in England, Scotland and Wales, but uncertainty remains over whether costs will stay down for winter.

The ongoing heatwave sweeping the UK and Europe continues to dominate the headlines as Brits rush out to enjoy some glorious sunshine! (Stay safe!!)

Despite its U-turn on its controversial welfare reforms last week, the prime minister will still face a test to his leadership when MPs vote today on his welfare reform bill.

(Thursday, 3 July 2025) – The death of Liverpool FC player Diogo Jota dominates UK and global headlines. The Premier League, the FA and Liverpool are amongst those offering condolences after he died aged 28 in a car accident in Spain.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s tearful appearance at PMQs on Wednesday sparked concerns, with many seeing her tears as a sign she was about to lose her job. It caused market panic. No. 10 has since said it was a personal matter. PMQs came after Labour got their welfare bill passed, after making huge concessions. It’s been the story that’s dominated much of the news this week.

The Glastonbury row and the UK heatwave dominated much of the news at the beginning of the week.

The UK’s second heatwave of the year is set to peak this Monday with temperatures hitting over 34C. The heatwave is affecting much of the country, with major events such as Glastonbury and Wimbledon issuing warnings that could see people being forced to leave early.

The headlines continue to cover the controversy at Glastonbury after punk duo Bob Vylan’s chants of “death, death to the IDF” during the duo’s performance. The performance, along with Irish band Kneecap, will not be available to stream online.

Wimbledon kicks off today, with the headlines reporting on the record number of British tennis players in the world-famous tournament.

There is some continued coverage of the prime minister’s U-turn on the benefits row. The PM backed down from his harsh welfare reforms, making some huge concessions to appease the Labour backbenchers who were mounting a rebellion.

A new report from disability charity Scope has revealed that the additional cost of living with a disability in the UK has surged by almost 12% since 2020.

The Friday newspaper front pages won’t be an easy read for the prime minister this morning, as they react to his U-turn on his highly controversial welfare cuts.

Many of the papers had gone to print before the watered-down bill was confirmed. They acknowledge that the prime minister offered the more than 120 Labour rebels ‘concessions’ but did not know the details.

Beyond welfare cuts, the rest of the papers are made up of a mix of different headlines from ongoing coverage of the US bombing of Iran to the UK and France agreeing on a migrant returns deal.

Labour rebels win as Starmer backs down over benefit cuts – UK second heatwave this weekend – Pound hits four-year high | What Happened Today
Friday’s headlines are dominated by the embarrassing U-turn from the prime minister over benefit cuts. More than 120 Labour MPs were mounting a rebellion over Starmer’s heavy cuts to welfare, which the government’s assessment said could end up pushing 250,000 people into poverty, including children. The PM’s desire to slash the ballooning welfare bill is a bid to save around £5bn a year. But it had caused massive upset as the most vulnerable were facing losing key benefits, including disabled people.

The government confirmed the climbdown will mean those currently receiving PIP or the health elements of Universal Credit will continue to do so, and instead, the planned cuts will only hit future claimants.

The vote will proceed as planned on Tuesday in the Commons and is expected to pass.

Amber health alerts have been issued for parts of England as temperatures are set to rise above 30C, in the second UK heatwave in June this year – don’t forget your sunscreen!

Elsewhere, the news that the pound briefly hit its highest level against the dollar for almost four years after markets were unnerved by a report that Trump could bring forward the naming of a new head of the US central bank.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has offered major concessions to over 120 Labour MPs who threatened to oppose key parts of the welfare reform bill.

The Prime Minister has faced a significant backlash from 127 MPs, leading to a climbdown on proposed cuts to disability benefits and a need to rebuild trust within his party.

Thursday’s headlines continue their coverage of the prime minister’s defiance over the upcoming benefits cuts bill. The PM says he’ll push ahead with the vote, expected next Tuesday, despite the mounting rebellion, which could seriously damage his premiership. There have been reports that the prime minister has told Labour MPs that if they vote down the bill, they won’t be considered for promotion. Other reports suggest No. 10 is drafting a watered-down bill to appease the critics.

The UK has seen a surge in Chinese imports as businesses seek to avoid the 55% tariff slapped on them by the United States. Economists say it could help the UK ease inflation, but domestic industries warn of being undercut by cheap goods.

A 37-year-old man, who brutally murdered a boy on his walk to school last year, has been found guilty of murder and three counts of attempted murder. Marcus Monzo went on a rampage in North London last year, killing 14-year-old schoolboy Daniel Anjorin with a samurai sword and injuring three others. The judge says he would face a life term when he returns to court for sentencing on Friday.

In happier news, the UK is set for its second heatwave of the month, with temperatures hitting 30C this weekend, just in time for Glastonbury! If you’re heading out and about this weekend, don’t forget your sunblock and shades!!

Cabinet ministers are pressuring Labour MPs to withdraw their names from a rebel amendment aimed at blocking controversial welfare cuts before a crucial vote next Tuesday.

A handful of ongoing stories dominate the UK newspaper front pages this morning, with the news that the prime minister is set to press ahead with his contentious welfare cuts, despite a growing rebellion from Labour MPs.

Many of the papers lead on the “landmark deal” which will see the UK buy 12 new nuclear-carrying jets from the United States. Several papers pick up on the prime minister’s comments that the UK must be prepared for war, whilst other papers note the purchase of planes carrying nuclear bombs is the biggest expansion of the deterrent since the Cold War.

A handful of papers report on Donald Trump’s wild outburst on TV whilst discussing the Israel-Iran ceasefire breaking down yesterday. Since the outburst, the fragile ceasefire appears to be holding.

Wednesday’s headlines report that the UK is set to buy 12 new nuclear-carrying jets from the United States as it seeks to boost its deterrents amid an increasingly unstable world.

The prime minister is set to push ahead with his welfare reforms bill, despite the growing backlash and a mounting rebellion from Labour MPs, and some opposition. Critics suggest the bill could push thousands into poverty.

There is widespread coverage of Donald Trump’s recent outburst at Israel and Iran after they broke the US-brokered ceasefire within hours of it being agreed.

A leaked report from US intelligence has suggested that the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites did minimal damage and only set Iran’s nuclear programme back “a few months”. Trump has rejected the report, saying the nuclear sites in Iran were “completely destroyed.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has declared his intent to proceed with sweeping disability welfare reforms, despite over 123 Labour MPs rebelling and 11 opposition MPs joining calls to halt the bill.

Labour Minister Luke Pollard dismissed claims that the government is “centre right,” asserting that recent cuts aim to enhance work opportunities and bolster defence funding.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will unveil her Spring Statement next week just a week after massive backlash to the government’s plans to overhaul the welfare system. 

The papers have been given a preview of the Spring Statement and they report there will be no more tax rises but austerity cuts on the way – the heavy cuts to public spending and benefits are to close the budget deficit.

Work and Pensions Sectreaty Liz Kendall announced a series of benefit cuts yesterday as the government looks to overhaul the UK’s welfare system in hopes of saving £5bn a year. There have been widespread reactions to the cuts from across the political spectrum, unions and charities. There are fears that the most vulnerable could be pushed into poverty, dissent amongst Labour MPs who have accused the government of echoing “Tory austerity” and reports more cuts are coming in the spring budget.

What’s dominating the UK news today? From domestic politics to international war to England and Scotland’s upcoming football matches! Grab a coffee – here’s your UK news breakdown.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall outlined the £5bn package of welfare cuts, which has seen strong reactions from across the political spectrum, with charities and organisations also adding their opinions. 

A handful of UK front pages lead on Israel breaking the ceasefire in Gaza and heavily bombing the strip, killing more than 400 people including women and children. Online, many of the publications report on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments that the strikes were ‘only the beginning.’ 

The UK government is set to announce significant welfare reforms today, aiming to reduce welfare spending by approximately £5 billion annually. These measures are part of an effort to address rising welfare costs, which are projected to surpass £100 billion by 2030.

Almost all the UK newspapers lead on the story, focusing on different angles from political turmoil within the party, to potentially pushing the poor into poverty.