Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has insisted the government will press ahead with its welfare reforms despite a growing rebellion within his own party. By Tuesday night, 123 Labour MPs had signed an amendment calling for the legislation to be paused, up from 108 earlier in the day, with 11 Northern Irish opposition MPs also backing the move. The revolt has been fuelled by concerns that the changes could push up to 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into poverty.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan joined senior Labour figures in urging Starmer to drop the plans, warning they would “destroy the financial safety net” for millions. Reports emerged that whips and government aides had threatened deselection and suggested a defeat could destabilise the government, though No 10 denied the claims. The rebel amendment, tabled by Treasury select committee chair Meg Hillier, demands the government pause the bill and bring forward £1bn for employment support before proceeding.
Speaking en route to the Nato summit in The Hague, Starmer defended the overhaul, arguing there was a “clear moral case” for change. He highlighted that 1,000 people a day are going onto Personal Independence Payment (Pip), and annual additions are equivalent to the size of Leicester. “The current system doesn’t help those who want to get into work – it traps people,” he said, insisting reform was necessary.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall spent Tuesday locked in talks with MPs, while cabinet colleagues including Angela Rayner, Jonathan Reynolds and Wes Streeting were deployed to win over backbenchers. Despite these efforts, only one rebel withdrew their name, with 16 more adding theirs. A rebel source said the true scale of opposition could be larger, as some supporters had refrained from signing publicly.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch offered conditional support for the bill, demanding commitments to reduce the welfare budget, get people into work, and avoid tax rises. However, the government is unlikely to accept such conditions, leaving the Tories political cover to vote against or abstain. Former government whip Vicky Foxcroft and ex-cabinet minister Louise Haigh have signed the amendment, raising the possibility of further frontbench resignations.
