Furious backbenchers warn welfare vote is being treated as CONFIDENCE VOTE as rebellion threatens to topple beleaguered PM
Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership is hanging by a thread as more than 100 Labour rebels prepare to defy him over “brutal” disability benefit cuts – with insiders warning the “sharks are circling” around the embattled PM.
In extraordinary scenes, Government whips are desperately ringing round mutinous MPs warning them that next week’s welfare vote is being treated as a confidence vote in Starmer himself. Rebels face the nuclear threat of losing the whip or even being deselected if they dare vote against the controversial reforms.
Things got so explosive at last night’s showdown between Labour MPs and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall that several MPs privately told the Independent it could end with Starmer being forced out as party leader. Talk about a meltdown!
‘The Sharks Are Circling’
One senior MP didn’t mince their words: “The sharks are circling around the Prime Minister.” Another fuming backbencher added: “The Government hasn’t listened to private concerns.”
The scale of the rebellion is staggering – more than 100 Labour MPs have signed a “reasoned amendment” seeking to thwart the government’s controversial welfare reform bill, making it one of the most significant rebellions of Starmer’s troubled premiership.
The rebels span all wings of the party, from usual suspects on the left to unexpected names from the party’s right. Even Florence Eshalomi, closely linked to Kendall herself, has put her name to the revolt.
The £5bn Bombshell
At the heart of the crisis are plans to slash disability benefits by £5bn – what critics are calling the “biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne”. The controversial measures include:
- Restricting eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Cutting and freezing the health element of Universal Credit for new claimants
- Pushing an estimated 250,000 people into poverty, including 50,000 children
No wonder MPs are up in arms!
Starmer Digs In His Heels
Despite the brewing mutiny, a defiant Starmer is refusing to back down. Asked by reporters if he’d consider pausing the reforms, he declared: “We were elected to change what is broken in our country. The welfare system is broken and that’s why we will press ahead with our reforms.”
When challenged that the plans were “dead on arrival”, a Downing Street spokesman insisted: “I don’t accept that. The welfare system the Government inherited is failing people…that is why we’re reforming welfare.
But with rebellion numbers now into three figures, that bravado might soon turn to panic.
The Nuclear Option
Labour MPs have revealed to The Sun that Government figures are frantically calling rebels, warning them this is a confidence vote in the Prime Minister. The message is crystal clear: vote against us and you’re out.
It’s a high-stakes gamble that could spectacularly backfire. As one rebel defiantly put it: “That isn’t how we should resolve policy concerns and risks us facing a political crisis.
Kendall’s Desperate Damage Control
In a sign of just how rattled the Government is, Kendall ruled out means-testing or freezing PIP in the Commons, to cheers from the back benches, in what looked like a significant climbdown.
The Work and Pensions Secretary repeatedly insisted she was “not interested in being tough” and that we have to be “careful how we talk” about people – a desperate attempt to ease backbench fury.
But it might be too little, too late. At least eight Labour MPs have already said they will definitely vote against the reforms, with several more signalling their opposition.
The Moral Outrage
The rebels aren’t holding back in their condemnation. Their amendment slams the Government for:
- Failing to consult with disabled people
- Not waiting for crucial impact assessments
- Pushing ahead despite knowing it will cause mass poverty
- Providing no proper safeguards for the vulnerable
As MP Chris Hinchliff put it: “Cuts don’t create jobs, they just cause more hardship.”
Cabinet on Edge
The crisis has the entire Cabinet rattled. Most of the cabinet were out in force for Kendall’s statement, including Ed Miliband, Wes Streeting, Bridget Phillipson, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves – a show of force that only highlighted how worried they are.
One cabinet member claimed they were “united” over reducing the welfare bill, but with over 100 rebels and counting, that unity is looking increasingly fragile.
Union Fury
It’s not just MPs in revolt. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak and disability charities have joined the backlash, adding to the pressure on Starmer’s crumbling authority.
Even Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester’s mayor and Labour heavyweight, has slammed the Government for making “the wrong choice” by restricting disability benefits.
The Death Knell?
With the vote looming next week, Starmer faces a brutal choice: back down and look weak, or press ahead and risk the biggest parliamentary humiliation of his premiership.
Government sources are desperately insisting the vote is “definitely happening” as planned. But with rebellion numbers swelling by the hour and talk of Starmer’s leadership openly being questioned, this could be the crisis that finally sinks his troubled premiership.
As one rebel MP warned: “I would urge people to remove their signatures in the interests of party unity.” But with over 100 already committed to rebellion and more joining by the day, it might already be too late.
The sharks aren’t just circling – they smell blood in the water.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets U.S. Senators in Washington, D.C.
Photo by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, taken on 10 July 2024 at 14:08, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
