Exclusive: Commons Vote On Welfare Cuts Could Be Pulled To Avoid Humiliation For Starmer

The Commons vote on welfare cuts may be dropped to avoid embarrassment for the prime minister.A crunch Commons vote on Labour’s plans to slash the welfare budget could be pulled to avoid Keir Starmer suffering a humiliating Commons defeat, HuffPost UK has learned.Senior government sources say there are only “two options” available to the prime minister as the backbench rebellion against the plans continues to grow.One is to scrap the planned vote on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which is due to take place next Tuesday. The other is to water down the legislation in a bid to stop the rebels voting it down.TUC general secretary Paul Nowak today became the latest big name to make clear his opposition to the legislation.He said: “Everyone agrees our welfare system needs to work better, particularly when it comes to support to get people into decent jobs. But changes that could push disabled people and their families into poverty are not the answer.“The government should pause and rethink their welfare reforms.”His intervention came after Labour mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham called on the PM to think again.Meanwhile, 123 Labour MPs have so far signed a wrecking amendment which would block the welfare cuts. Attempts by Cabinet ministers to persuade the rebels to back down have so far failed.A senior government source said: “The rebels are dug in. “There are two options, neither good – pull the vote or make major changes to the bill.“Both will leave major questions about Keir’s authority and the financial costs.”The government’s plans would make it more difficult to claim personal independence payments (PIP) and cut Universal Credit.A Labour source said pulling the vote or making further concessions was “the most likely scenario”.But he added: “I wouldn’t entirely rule out pushing through. The rebels should walk through the lobbies with the Tories to maintain the Tory welfare system that is spiralling out of control and keeping people locked out of work.”Starmer, who is attending the Nato summit in The Hague, told LBC this morning that the vote will go ahead.He said: “There’ll be a vote on Tuesday, and we’re going to make sure that we reform the welfare system.”Related...Andy Burnham Urges Starmer To 'Listen To Labour MPs' And Ditch Welfare CutsSadiq Khan Joins Labour Backlash As Rebellion Against Starmer's Welfare Cuts GrowsKeir Starmer Says He Won't Back Down On Welfare Cuts As Labour Rebellion Grows

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