Keir Starmer Braced For Biggest Labour Rebellion Of His Time As PM Over Welfare Cuts

PM Keir Starmer is facing the largest rebellion of his first year in office over his government's proposed welfare cuts.Keir Starmer is facing the largest Labour rebellion of his time as prime minister as he tries to force through controversial welfare cuts.Dozens of his own backbenchers are set to defy him to vote against the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments Bill in the Commons on Tuesday evening.Nearly 40 of them have signed a rebel amendment which would block the legislation, but the MP behind it says “loads more” will also vote against the government.Rachael Maskell told BBC Breakfast: “So many people say this is not the right thing to do, this is not a Labour thing to do. We’re there to protect the poor, to ensure that disabled people have a future.“But if you take away their personal independence, they won’t be able to get to work, they won’t be able to shower and wash and even eat day by day.“So this is about dignity for disabled people and that’s why so many of us feel so strongly about this.”At least 80 Labour MPs, along with MPs from every other party, would need to vote against the bill for the government to be defeated.Asked how many more Labour backbenchers could join the rebellion, Maskell said: “There are loads more. I engaged with so many people yesterday who were saying ‘I’m not signing your amendment, but I am voting down the bill’.”'This is about dignity for disabled people which is why so many of us feel so strongly about this'Labour MP Rachael Maskell told #BBCBreakfast 'loads more' MPs have told her they will support her amendment to block the government's welfare reformshttps://t.co/dEOwlbGw2Zpic.twitter.com/q4FAKwiSdz— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) July 1, 2025Even if the bill passes, a large number of Labour MPs voting against it would be a huge blow to Starmer’s authority as he approaches the first anniversary of becoming prime minister.He watered down the government’s initial welfare proposals after more than 120 Labour MPs vowed to vote against them.But even that has not been enough to win over a large section of his backbenchers, who point to the fact the government’s own assessment estimates that 150,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of the cuts.Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds this morning urged Labour MPs to set aside their concerns about the cuts and vote with the government later.He told BBC Breakfast: “I simply ask colleagues to read the proposals, compare them to what we have, and I think they’re genuinely better.“I absolutely do believe that they protect the most vulnerable people, which is exactly what people, I think, wanted from these reforms. They recognise we’re spending a lot of money and no one’s happy with the existing system, and that we can make those improvements and how the system works in the here and now and for the future are improved by these proposals.”Related...Sadiq Khan Joins Growing Labour Backlash Against Starmer's Welfare ConcessionsLabour's Welfare Reforms Will Push 150,000 Into Poverty, Government AdmitsAndy Burnham Calls On Labour MPs To Vote Against Welfare Cuts Despite Starmer U-Turn

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