Minister's Attempt To Explain Away Labour Rebellion With Blair Comparison Forgets 1 Rather Key Difference

Douglas Alexander compared the current Labour rebellion to the first major rebellion Tony Blair faced in office.A minister has downplayed the growing Labour rebellion over the government’s welfare cuts by comparing it to the backlash Tony Blair faced back in 1997.More than 120 Labour MPs have backed an amendment to block Keir Starmer’s reforms to reduce cut the benefits bill by £5 billion.Downing Street is now rushing to conjure up a series of concessions to win back the backbench rebels before the Commons votes on the amendment next Tuesday.Speaking to Sky News on Thursday, trade policy minister Douglas Alexander appeared to dismiss claims that this would undermine the government’s authority.He said: “I was part of Tony Blair’s government and Gordon Brown’s government. I remember what was a very large rebellion very early after the 1997 landslide over the issue of lone-parent benefits.“What happened was a significant rebellion that was screaming headlines, people were saying lessons must be learned.“What followed that rebellion was not just the largest fall in child poverty that we had seen in generations, the largest fall in pensioner poverty, but a Labour government that had the capacity to come together for the people of the UK.”The December 1997 rebellion saw 47 backbenchers oppose benefit cuts to single parents.A further 100 abstained while a minister and two private parliamentary secretaries resigned and a ministerial aide was sacked.However, because Blair had a majority of 179, the bill still passed comfortably.Starmer currently has a Commons majority of 165.That means 83 MPs would need to vote against the government in order to defeat it.The amendment which aims to wreck Starmer’s welfare cuts has 126 Labour signatories – and counting.The party’s whips therefore need to reduce the rebellion by more than 40 within the next five days to get the government’s cuts through.However, Blair was also much more popular during the first year of his premiership than Starmer.The current prime minister’s approval rating is at -30 after just a year in office, according to The Times.Meanwhile, Blair’s net rating one year in was at +32, and it did not drop below double figures until September 1999.But Alexander insisted: “I have every confidence that in time there will be a sense of proportionality and scale that’s perhaps missing in some of the newspaper headlines this morning because actually this is parliament doing its job, this is government doing its job for the people, and we’re going to move forward together.” He also told Times Radio: “I expect there’ll be conversations over the coming days before the vote, and then many, many conversations, after the second reading, as rightly and reasonably, we look to make sure that we get this legislation right.”Related...Keir Starmer Hit By Fresh Blow As Labour Rebellion Against Welfare Cuts GrowsStarmer Insists He'll Lead Labour Into Next Election Amid Welfare RebellionExclusive: Commons Vote On Welfare Cuts Could Be Pulled To Avoid Humiliation For Starmer

Comments

Breaking news

An ancient village in the Himalayas ran out of water. Then, it moved and started over

Independent

Comments

Similar News

A hard-right lawmaker is sworn in as Greece's migration minister

Cabinet minister's alarm at Britain's 'worrying' baby bust as she urges women to have more children - and start younger

German foreign minister visits Kyiv, pledges continued support for Ukraine

Minister quizzed on PIP welfare U-turn - 'How on earth did it get to this point'

Start having MORE children and start families sooner, minister for women and equality says

US must rule out more strikes before new talks, Iranian minister tells BBC

Ex-Tory minister refers himself to standards watchdog over 'cash for questions' accusations

Starmer's Start As Prime Minister 'Even Worse Than Liz Truss', Claims Expert

PM and ministers now admit welfare reforms went too far

Calls for Tories to strip the whip from ex-minister George Freeman over 'cash for questions' row

Exclusive: 'Will It Be Children Up Chimneys Next?': Minister Blasts Nigel Farage's Plan To Ditch Net Zero

DAN HODGES: Keir Starmer's time as Prime Minister is over. This is everything I've heard about his U-turns, confusion and lack of leadership behind-the-scenes. Deep down, even he knows he's done

British Rocker Rod Stewart Backs Nigel Farage for Prime Minister

Labour should introduce minister for porn, Conservative peer says

Nigel Farage Slammed By Albanian Prime Minister Over 'Bonkers' Prisoner Numbers Claim

Thai Protesters Vent Their Exasperation With the Prime Minister

Protesters gather in Bangkok to demand Thai prime minister's resignation over leaked Cambodia call

Supermarkets could be forced to ensure shoppers make healthier food choices in a bid by ministers to tackle the obesity crisis

Watch Live: Donald Trump Meets with Congo and Rwandan Ministers After Historic Peace Deal

Foreign Minister: Iran Wants 'Compensation for Damages' to Nuclear Sites

Breaking news

An ancient village in the Himalayas ran out of water. Then, it moved and started over

After screwworm scare, US-Mexico border set to reopen for cattle imports

The top photos of the day by AP's photojournalists

Hawaii's governor signs bills cracking down on illegal fireworks after deadly New Year's explosion

Photos at Canfield Mountain, Idaho, where firefighters came under deadly attack

What to know about Kohberger agreeing to plead guilty to murdering 4 University of Idaho students

Israeli PM to meet Donald Trump next week

More than 140 killed or injured in tailgating incidents each year

Best foods to improve children's attention at school

GP reveals how many drinks it takes to get a hangover - and when you're at risk

QUENTIN LETTS: Lisa flew into a prolonged riff tearing into Glastonbury and the BBC... Nandy was jammin'!

JEFF PRESTRIDGE: Rachel's raid on the tax-free Isa will plunge financial dagger into the hearts of millions

EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Clarkson set to launch OnlyFarmers

Shocking moment girl under 10 drives car through village: Woman, 32, admits to allowing child behind the wheel

Avocado suites, a bullet hole in the dining car - and never more than 15 seconds late!: ROBERT HARDMAN reveals the secrets of the Royal Train

Oasis kick off rehearsals in Cardiff ahead of the first gig of their hotly-anticipated reunion tour after last-minute change

Children could be banned from social media for LIFE if they share classmates' nudes under new proposal

Father and daughter plucked from sea after cruise ship drama

Guilty plea expected over US student murders

Chris Mason: Labour still has a big persuasion job ahead

Elon Musk Promises a New Political Party if Republicans Pass Trump’s Policy Bill

California Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law

In a blow to Milei, a US judge orders Argentina to turn over its majority stake in state oil company

Solar minigrid brings light and hope to a Goma neighborhood, offering blueprint for rest of Congo

Tinder is testing facial recognition for users as a new security feature

Ex-aide to New York governor pleads not guilty to new pandemic fraud charge

Woman recovers lottery ticket she threw away and ends up winning top prize

Researchers say they have a better way to measure weight than BMI

Inmate fatally shoots North Carolina officer before being caught in stolen vehicle, sheriff says

President Eric? Trump’s second son hints at a political dynasty

Trump says he’ll withhold money from New York if Mamdani becomes mayor

Four slain students, a weeks-long manhunt but no motive - Everything we know about the Idaho murders

Man to plead guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students

PM faces threat of major Labour rebellion as key vote on welfare reforms looms

Donald Macdonald dead: Tragedy as popular Play School presenter passes away

Glastonbury 'death to IDF' chant was run-by BBC boss Tim Davies as it happened, say sources

Queen Elizabeth II's blunt take on Meghan Markle laid bare in telling new memoirs

Carer seen 'violently degrading' frail old man on CCTV just days before he died

A-List Hollywood heartthrob is unrecognizable in long beard and wig in Project Hail Mary trailer

Justin Bieber and wife Hailey dance away their marital woes with united front at concert

Friends legend Jennifer Aniston kisses rival 90s sitcom star in picture

Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka perform TikTok dance routine on Wimbledon's Centre Court as top seeds show there are no hard feelings after fall-out from French Open final

Ed Miliband wants to build enough solar panels to cover area the size of West Midlands in next five years

Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Countdown to verdict as jury continues deliberations today

Julia Bradbury reveals heartbreaking response from her children when she shared her breast cancer diagnosis as she admits she 'didn't want to look at her scars' following surgery

Khloe Kardashian finally sets the record straight on EVERY cosmetic surgery she's ever had done

Post Malone SPLITS from girlfriend Christy Lee... amid custody battle with his ex-fiancee

MPs hail Mail's Stop The SAS Betrayal campaign to halt the hounding of Troubles veterans from witch hunts

Natalie Portman's rarely seen son, 13, calls in mom to impress YouTube star

Inbetweeners star James Buckley and his wife Clair 'stalked by woman at Essex home and feared they would be violently attacked'

Liam Payne given heartbreaking tribute at the start of new Netflix series Building The Band which was filmed before his tragic death

The firebrand plotting to turn Britain Green: He's been an Extinction Rebellion activist, a 'boob whisperer' hypnotist and an actor, now he wants to win over virtue-signalling voters

Traveller family who lived on Green Belt site owned by boxing champion Billy Joe Saunders for SEVEN years are handed legal injunction to finally move them on

Our 12-year-old son died while trying a trend he saw online... social media is to blame and someone needs to be held responsible

I booked the overnight ferry in Thailand - but was shocked when I saw my 'bed'

Harry and Meghan's right-hand man appears to extend an olive branch to two senior royal household staff including William's aide Jason Knauf who exposed Meghan Markle 'bullying' allegations

Heat waves are only going to get WORSE, warn scientists - and some cities could experience an extra MONTH of oppressive heat per year