Keir Starmer Faces Rebellion of Over 120 Labour MPs Over £5 Billion Welfare Cuts Ahead of Tuesday Vote Amid Concessions

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing a major rebellion within his Labour Party over his government's proposed welfare reform bill, which includes plans to cut disability and sickness benefits. The bill aims to reduce welfare spending by £5 billion annually by the end of the decade but has encountered opposition from over 120 Labour MPs, including senior backbenchers and committee chairs. These MPs have signed a reasoned amendment to block the bill, citing concerns that the reforms would push hundreds of thousands of people, including up to 250,000 initially and 150,000 after concessions, into relative poverty. Despite the rebellion, Starmer initially vowed to press ahead with the reforms and the scheduled Commons vote.

However, in response to the growing dissent, the government has entered negotiations with the rebel MPs and agreed to make major concessions, including softening the criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and adjustments to Universal Credit reforms. These concessions are expected to cost the government several billions of pounds but are seen as necessary to avoid a humiliating defeat in Parliament. Some Labour MPs and party figures, including former government whip Vicky Foxcroft and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, have criticized the reforms and the concessions as insufficient, urging further changes or the withdrawal of the bill. The welfare vote is set to proceed as planned, with around 50 Labour MPs still expected to oppose the bill despite the concessions. Starmer has defended the reforms as a moral imperative to fix a failing welfare system and insists the revised bill strikes the right balance between reform and fairness. The outcome of the vote will be a significant test of Starmer's leadership less than a year into his premiership.