Markus Andrews

Sir Keir Starmer still faces a damaging rebellion after ministers admitted that 150,000 people will still be pushed into poverty by benefit cuts.With the prime minister’s authority on the line, his work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall unveiled amendments to benefit reforms on Monday in a bid to persuade Labour backbenchers not to vote down the bill in a crunch vote on Tuesday.Outside the Commons, the plans were also strongly criticised by senior figures including Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan. Mr Burnham said: “What’s been announced is half a U-turn, a 50 per cent U-turn. In my view I’d hope that MPs vote against the whole bill when it comes before parliament.” Sir Sadiq said: “I think it drives too many people into poverty. It leads to a situation where those who need a safety net don’t have one. But also, I’ve met too many Londoners who have dignity, who do work, who through no fault of their own, need support from the state, and they’re really worried they’ll lose that.”Education secretary Bridget Phillipson was forced to defend Sir Keir’s record, insisting he will lead Labour into the next general election. In an interview with The Independent days before Labour marks its first year in power, she also said government had its “ups and downs” and suggested better times were ahead. More than 130 Labour backbenchers had signed an amendment that would have effectively killed the legislation, but ministers were hoping a last-minute pledge to protect current Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and other changes would end the rebellion.Liz Kendall during her statement in the Commons on Monday More

Andy Burnham has called on Labour MPs to vote down the government’s welfare reforms as Sir Keir Starmer attempts to stave off a backbench rebellion.The Mayor of Greater Manchester said the prime minister said the changes to the welfare system will create “unfairness and divide” amongst disabled people.He also said the prime minister had only performed a “half U-turn” which did not go far enough. Mr Burnham’s comments will be seen as a direct challenge to the PM and an indication of his possible future leadership ambitions.Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall confirmed a number of concessions to the government’s welfare cuts on Monday in an effort to head off a major rebellion by Labour backbenchers, including protecting people who claim personal independence payments (Pip) from new eligibility criteria.The U-turn means those currently in receipt of PIP and Universal Credit will not be affected by proposed cuts, but those claiming in the future will receive less money.However, speaking at an event at Glastonbury festival, Mr Burnham said: “What’s been announced is half a U-turn, a 50% U-turn. In my view, I’d still hope MPs vote against the whole bill when it comes before parliament.”Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall confirmed a number of concessions to the government’s welfare cuts on Monday More

Sometimes a hushed Commons chamber greets a statement of great significance – the death of a national figure, a resignation statement by a senior minister, war or a tragedy.But this was not the case for Liz Kendall whose statement to the House on last minute changes to her much criticised welfare bill was met with a prickly uncomfortable silence and barely an audible sound of approval from the Labour benches behind her.The work and pensions secretary had in essence been forced to come to the Commons a day early to outline her changes to the welfare bill made in desperation because more than 130 Labour MPs had signed an amendment which would kill it.Starmer with Kendall More

A cabinet minister has rallied to the defence of Keir Starmer ahead of a crunch vote on his welfare reforms widely seen as a test of his authority.Bridget Phillipson insisted the prime minister would lead her party into the next general election, amid growing questions over his future. In an interview with The Independent days before Labour marks its first year in power, the education secretary also said government had its “ups and downs” and suggested better times were ahead. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (Anthony Devlin/PA) More

Related video: Angela Rayner insists welfare cuts vote will happen on TuesdayThe government has admitted that Sir Keir Starmer’s benefit cuts will still push 150,000 people into relative poverty, despite the prime minister watering down the measures.An assessment of the impact of the welfare reforms says 150,000 additional working-age adults will face relative poverty because of the cuts.A previous assessment, before Sir Keir was forced to U-turn on some of the changes, said 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, would face poverty as a result of the measures.Pressure is mounting on the prime minister as he launches a last-minute attempt to win over dozens of Labour MPs rebelling against his welfare reforms.He is still facing the prospect of around 50 MPs rebelling in a crunch vote on Tuesday, despite offering concessions on the legislation last week.The original welfare bill proposed to introduce a higher bar for eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (Pip), and cut the health-related element of universal credit.But after more than 100 Labour MPs called for these changes to be scrapped, the government said its proposed rules will now only apply to new claims from November 2026, and also rowed back on universal credit plans.Some changes to bill confirmedLiz Kendall is outlining concessions made to the welfare bill in the Commons now.“We have listened carefully and we are making positive changes as a result,” she said.She confirmed that the government’s proposed rules will now only apply to new claims from November 2026.“We will now ensure the new 4 point requirement will only apply to new claims from November 2026, this means no existing claimants will be affected by the changes in this bill,” she said.Athena Stavrou30 June 2025 15:44Watch live: Live: Labour introduces changes to Welfare Bill ahead of crucial vote[embedded content]Athena Stavrou30 June 2025 15:41Liz Kendall begins statement Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is now addressing MPs in the Commons.She is updating MPs on changes made to the government’s controversial welfare reforms, in a bid to quell a Labour rebellion.She began by saying: “This government believes in equality and social justice.”( More

The BBC has said it “should have pulled” its coverage of punk duo Bob Vylan’s “death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury on Saturday.After days of backlash against the performance and its broadcast, the BBC said it contained “utterly unacceptable” and “antisemitic sentiments”. “Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC’s output but one performance within our live streams included comments that were deeply offensive,” the corporation said. The performer led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of ‘death, death to the IDF’ More

A hard-right lawmaker was sworn in Monday as Greece’s migration minister, replacing a fellow right-wing political heavyweight who resigned following accusations of involvement in the distribution of European Union farm subsidies.Five high-ranking government officials, including the previous migration minister, Makis Voridis, three deputy ministers and a secretary general, resigned last Friday following allegations they were involved in a scheme to provide EU agriculture subsidies to undeserving recipients.The funds, which were handled by a government body known by its Greek acronym OPEKEPE, were allegedly given to numerous people who had made false declarations of owning or leasing non-existent pastures or livestock.Thanos Plevris, 48, succeeded Voridis and is expected to maintain Greece’s hard line in migration policy. Both Plevris and Voridis joined the conservative New Democracy party in 2012, from the right-wing populist Popular Orthodox Rally, or LAOS, party.Voridis has denied any involvement in the alleged farm subsidy fraud and said he resigned in order to clear his name. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which has investigated the case, passed on a hefty file to the Greek Parliament last week that includes allegations of possible involvement of government ministers. Lawmakers enjoy immunity from prosecution in Greece that can only be lifted by parliamentary vote.On Sunday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said his New Democracy party had failed to stamp out graft.“Significant reform efforts were made,” Mitsotakis said in a social media post. “But let’s be honest. We failed.”He said anyone found to have received EU funds they were not entitled to would be ordered to return the money.“Our many farmers and livestock breeders who toil and produce quality products, and all law-abiding citizens, will not tolerate scammers who claimed to have non-existent pastures and livestock, or those who enabled them to do so,” Mitsotakis said. More

Sir Keir Starmer’s £3bn U-turn on his planned welfare cuts does not go far enough, a leading rebel who quit her frontbench job over the changes has warned. The prime minister is still facing the prospect of around 50 Labour MPs voting against his welfare reforms, with former government whip Vicky Foxcroft among those calling for fresh concessions. Ms Foxcroft dramatically quit this month in protest at the plans, saying she could not back cuts that will harm disabled people.And, in an interview with The Guardian after Sir Keir’s U-turn, she said it was “good to hear that people won’t be losing their benefits who are currently on them” but said there were “areas where I still think there’s need for movement”.She has not decided whether to back the government’s plans on Tuesday, and around 50 Labour MPs are still expected to vote against the welfare shakeup even after the U-turn. Keir Starmer has been warned his welfare concessions do not go far enough More