Labour welfare bill latest: Starmer warned secret rebels ready to sink benefits cuts in key vote today

Away from today’s welfare reforms, Rachel Reeves is set to announce plans to cut the annual allowance for Cash ISAs in a push to encourage people to invest more.

She is set to answer questions in the Commons at 11am.

Read the full article here:

The Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

Two Labour rebels took to the airwaves on Tuesday to rail against Sir Keir Starmer’s benefit cuts.In a sign of the pressure on the prime minister, Emma Lewell and Florence Eshalomi were on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme criticising the welfare plans.

Ms Eshalomi told the programme she was undecided on how to vote, but that the changes have been “rushed”, adding that “rushed policy is bad policy”.

Ms Lewell was more forceful, telling listeners that she “could never walk through the voting lobby to make 150,000 get pushed into poverty”.

One of Labour’s rebel MPs, Nadia Whittome, has been speaking about the party’s mood and response to the government’s welfare reforms.

She told Sky News that the concessions are “not enough” and that many of her colleagues are “furious” with the bill, which she describes as a “shambles”.

She said: “MPs from right across the party are furious about being forced to choose between loyalty to our party and loyalty to our constituents because we’d hope those two things would never conflict, especially when it comes to the fundamentals, the basics.

“But if our party is being steered down the wrong path and if it won’t listen then many of us will side with our constituents and with Labour values.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

Sir Keir Starmer looks likely to escape a damaging Commons defeat over his benefit cuts.But the prime minister could be left facing the worst of all worlds.

Not only is he set to face the biggest rebellion of his leadership, leaving his authority badly diminished, but experts have raised serious concerns about the long-term impact of what is left of his welfare reforms.

If they turn out as damaging as charities and campaigners have warned, Sir Keir faces having scraped through the rebellion only to implement a deeply unpopular bill.

As well, he will spend the rest of his premiership grappling with backbenchers with a taste for rebellion and the knowledge they can force the PM’s hand when needed.

Sir Keir may dodge defeat tonight, but the fallout from his welfare cuts look set to follow him for the rest of his premiership.

Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of Labour’s welfare reform plans has prompted strong reactions from Independent readers, many of whom see the episode as a key test of his leadership.

Just under a quarter (24 per cent) said Starmer was showing strength under pressure, while 16 per cent felt it was too early to judge.

Some readers welcomed the latest revisions, viewing them as a sign that the leadership is listening. However, others said the process had exposed divisions within Labour, and expressed concern about the tone of the response to dissenting MPs.

11:30am: The chancellor will face questions from MPs, including some on the welfare reforms.

12:40pm: MPs will begin the debate on the government’s welfare bill. There have been a number of tabled amendments attempting to kill the reforms.

7pm: A vote is expected on the welfare bill.

The Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

A leading Labour rebel has said there are “so many more” MPs prepared to vote down Sir Keir Starmer’s benefit cuts than those publicly signed up to her wrecking amendment.

Rachael Maskell, a long-standing critic of the government, has tabled a new amendment that would kill the welfare reforms if backed by the Commons on Tuesday.

It has 39 Labour signatures so far (see post at 8:21am), but, speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, she said: “There are many people who have said they are done with reasoned amendments and are going to come in and vote down that bill.

“So many more people say this is not the right thing to do, it is not a Labour thing to do.”

Ms Maskell said there are “loads more” people opposing the government than have signed up for her amendment.

“I engaged with so many people yesterday who said I am not signing your reasoned amendment, but I am voting down the bill,” she insisted.

The government will be working all day to try and minimise the rebellion against its welfare reforms.

However, dozens of Labour MPs are still likely to vote against its benefit cut bill.

While the exact numbers are unknown, a “wrecking amendment” outlined in Tuesday’s parliamentary order paper has been signed by 39 Labour MPs.

The amendment was put forward by York Central MP Rachael Maskell.

The 39 Labour signatories is far fewer than the 83 needed to overturn Sir Keir’s majority, but enough to deliver the largest rebellion of his premiership just before the first anniversary of Labour’s election victory.

It is a considerably lower number than the 127 who signed an amendment last week that would have stopped the bill’s progress entirely.

This lowers to around 50 following concessions made by the government.