UK Politics

Sir Keir Starmer’s welfare bill has managed to scrape past its second reading as he fended off what is believed to be the most significant rebellion since he became prime minister a year ago.The bill passed its second reading by 335 ayes to 260 noes, a majority of 75, with 49 Labour MPs voting against the welfare cuts which have caused controversy. Disability minister Sir Stephen Timms announced a last-ditch concession that plans to restrict eligibility for personal independence payments (PIP) – which had been the central pillar of the government’s reforms – would not take place until after a review of the benefit had concluded.The government had initially planned to change the eligibility criteria for disability benefits for all new claimants from November 2026 but now the new system will not come into force until the review has concluded.It comes just days after the government watered down the legislation for the first time on Thursday, excluding all existing claimants from changes to PIP in a chaotic U-turn.Sir Keir’s welfare bill has continuously caused controversy as a growing rebel camp, led at the time by Dame Meg Hillier, putting forward an initial amendment which forced the government to U-turn from its initial plans. While she voted to back the legislation, almost 50 Labour MPs expressed their discontent with the bill still. One key voice in the ‘noes’ was MP Ms Maria Tidball, born with a congenital disability affecting all four limbs, who broke down in tears as she delivered an impassioned speech criticising the welfare cuts. Another key rebel, Rachel Maskell, said disabled people will have been worried watching the debate.The MP for York Central said: “I’m obviously really sad that the Bill went through but I think my greatest sadness is that disabled people will have been looking on and seeing Parliament debating their futures, and I think they’ll be incredibly distressed when they see the way that Parliament was today.“That’s the thing that tugs at me, because I think ultimately we’ve got huge responsibility to disabled people and they weren’t served well by the department today.”Sir Stephen Timms later said, in response to concerns over a two tier system, that it was “completely normal in social security.”“PIP replaced DLA (disability living allowance) in 2013 but half a million adults are still on DLA today. That doesn’t cause problems. Parallel running is normal, and actually it’s often the fairest way to make a major change.”Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said welfare reform was particularly “difficult” for Labour because the party cared “passionately” about the subject.Asked what the main lessons were from the backbench rebellion over proposed cuts, she told broadcasters: “Welfare reform is always really difficult, perhaps especially for Labour governments.“It’s something we care passionately about.” More

Sir Keir Starmer has suffered the biggest blow to his leadership since coming into power a year ago after he was forced to abandon a key plank of his controversial benefit cuts in order to get them through parliament.While his welfare reform bill passed its second reading by 335 votes to 260 – a majority of 75 – the prime minister still suffered the largest rebellion of his premiership so far, with 49 Labour MPs voting to reject the legislation. It came after a last-ditch announcement that plans to restrict eligibility for personal independence payments (PIP) – which had been the central pillar of the government’s reforms – were being dropped.Keir Starmer’s authority suffers a major setback on Tuesday More

Keir Starmer has suffered a serious blow after dozens of his own MPs voted against his planned welfare reforms in Parliament. The prime minister had been forced into two humiliating U-turns on the legislation in less than a week to head off a revolt that threatened to defeat his government on one of its flagship policies. But how does this compare to previous revolts by politicians? It is the largest rebellion of Sir Keir’s premiershipAccording to political scientist Professor Philip Cowley, from Queen Mary University of London, who has done a comparison of previous votes, it was the largest backbench rebellion Starmer has suffered so far. The previous record holder was earlier this month during the passage of the planning and infrastructure bill, when 16 MPs rebelled. A smaller revolt last year, over the controversial two-child benefit cap, saw a number of Labour MPs stripped of the party whip – including Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell.Sir Tony Blair with Sir Keir Starmer (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

Ahead of the welfare reform bill vote, a frustrated minister privately questioned the whole approach to the painful debate.“We are spending an extra £20bn on welfare [compared with the last government], we are not cutting it by £5bn but somehow everyone believes we are cutting it by £5bn,” they said. “There is clearly a problem with messaging.”Ahead of a damaging rebellion by Labour MPs on an issue which has pitted the parliamentary party against its own leadership, the comments reflect a widespread criticism of Sir Keir and many of his ministers.Nothing underlined the mess more than the dramatic late concession during the debate to postpone changes to disability reforms to try to stave off a humiliating defeat.One Labour MP put the prime minister’s problems more bluntly: “He is just bad at politics.”Keir Starmer in the Downing Street garden More

Welfare U-turn will cost £2.5bn by 2030, Liz Kendall tells MPsLabour MPs have branded Sir Keir Starmer’s welfare proposals as “Dickensian”, as the prime minister prepares to face a backbench rebellion this evening.MPs are debating the second reading of the government’s welfare bill ahead of a crunch vote in the Commons this evening.The bill would see changes made to personal independence payment (Pip) and the health-related element of universal credit.With the prime minister’s authority on the line, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall confirmed a number of concessions to cuts on Monday in an effort to head off a major rebellion by Labour backbenchers.However, dozens of Labour MPs have signed an amendment proposing to sink the legislation on Tuesday.Rachael Maskell – who tabled the amendment – called the cuts, “Dickensian”, “from a different era and a different party” as she stood in the Commons on Tuesday.“These are my constituents, my neighbours, my community, my responsibility, and I cannot cross by on the other side,” she said.MPs will vote on the amendment before voting on the second reading on the bill this evening.Pictured: Protesters gather outside parliament( More

A record number of people have crossed the Channel in small boats in the first six months of this year, new figures show – despite Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to “smash the gangs”.Just days before the prime minister marks one year in office, new data from the Home Office shows a total of 19,982 people have arrived in the UK since the start of 2025 – the highest total for this point in the year since data was first collected on migrant crossings in 2018. The prime minister has been struggling to bring down both the number of boat crossings and the amount of money spent on housing asylum seekers in hotels across the UK. But he has also faced criticism from left-wing Labour MPs and refugee charities, accusing Sir Keir of attempting to copy Reform UK’s inflammatory rhetoric. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has defended his Government’s record as he faces a major revolt on welfare reforms More