Keir Starmer In Race Against Time To Prevent Humiliating Defeat On Welfare Cuts
Keir Starmer is holding talks with Labour rebels in a bid to avoid a humiliating Commons defeat over the government’s welfare cuts.
The prime minister has admitted that the controversial reforms, designed to slash the benefits bill by £5 billion, will have to be watered down if they are to stand any chance of being passed by the Commons next Tuesday.
More than 120 Labour MPs have signed a wrecking amendment which would kill off the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments Bill.
In a statement to parliament today, Starmer admitted that the government will need to make changes to their plans to kill off the rebellion.
He said: “We want to see reform implemented with Labour values of fairness.
“That conversation will continue in the coming days, so we can begin making change together on Tuesday.”
It is understood that Starmer is personally having talks with the rebels that No.10 believe can be persuaded to drop their opposition to the welfare reforms.
But one MP who has signed the rebel amendment told HuffPost UK: “You might get a few MPs looking for any excuse to back down, but for the majority there needs to be a fairly significant change on personal independence payments (PIP) for them to support it.”
Under the government’s plans, the eligibility criteria for PIP are being made more strict so that fewer people can claim it.
One concession being considered by No.10 if watering down that policy so that more claimants continue to receive it.
Another rebel said: “They have left it too late to win over some but for those who have never rebelled before, it might do some good.”
Senior Labour MPs Meg Hillier and Debbie Abrahams, who organised the wrecking amendment, are negotiating with Downing Street over what changes to the bill may be enough for the government to get its plans through.
But Labour MP Rachael Maskell said the bill “cannot and must not be saved”.
“Any concessions will still cause harm to disabled people,” she said.
“The only option is to withdraw the bill, rethink and start to rebuild trust with disabled people.”