'Labour rebels won't make us walk away from welfare reform'
That is despite 122 Labour MPs - including 11 from Scotland - backing a 'reasoned amendment' which aims to scrap the current proposals.
The i newspaper reported widespread speculation that No10 could scrap the Bill in its entirety before Wednesday.
Ms Rayner was stepping in for Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday while he attends a NATO summit.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride referenced the Labour rebellion at PMQs.
He said: 'They say that the Bill is dangerously rushed and ill-thought through.
"So can the Rt Hon lady explain why she thinks that she is right and 122 of her own colleagues are wrong?'
Read more:
In full: every Scottish Labour MP who has joined welfare rebellion
Starmer in trouble? This is why Labour will be worried by welfare rebellion
Rebel amendment to scrap UK welfare cuts backed by Scottish Labour MPs
Ms Rayner said: "I'll tell the Rt Hon Member why we're pressing ahead with our reforms and that is because we're investing a billion pounds into tailored employment support to try to help more people back into work and end reassessments for the most severely disabled who will never be able to work.
'Mr Speaker, we won't walk away and abandon millions of people trapped in the system, left behind by him [Stride] and his colleagues.'
Ms Rayner then said: "I don't need a script. We will go ahead on Tuesday."
Mr Stride said the Conservatives were willing to help Labour pass the reforms - but only if they were strengthened to get more people off benefits.
The second reading is due to be heard on Tuesday, July 1.
Proposed changes would limit the eligibility threshold for PIP, cutting disability payments for millions across the UK, including in Scotland.
It also includes a cut to the sickness-related element of Universal Credit and delays access to those aged 22 and over.
If Speaker Lindsay Hoyle selects the amendment, it will be voted on next week once the proposals return to the Commons, on July 1.
The reasoned amendment recognises the need for welfare reform, but cites concern with the UK Government's own evidence which suggests 250,000 people - including 50,000 children - would be pushed into poverty by the changes.
The Prime Minister has a working majority of 165 - but this hefty rebellion is bad news for his government.
A rebellion from just 82 Labour MPs is enough to sink the reforms, if opponents also back the amendment.
There is speculation a three-line whip could be applied to the legislation, meaning rebel MPs who vote against the reforms could be suspended for a period of time.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
4 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Fraudster who conned luxury brands into buying fake Scottish tea jailed
A fraudster who conned luxury businesses into buying tea he claimed was grown in Scotland, making more than £550,000, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Thomas Robinson, 55, claimed to have cultivated the tea at his Perthshire estate using innovative techniques, but in reality it was bought from wholesalers and grown outside of Scotland. Operating under the business name The Wee Tea Plantation, Robinson fraudulently sold the tea to high-profile clients in the hospitality sector between January 2014 and February 2019. Representatives of the Balmoral Hotel, the Dorchester Hotel and a company acting on behalf of Fortnum & Mason were among those tricked by the fraudster, who had claimed to have sold tea to customers including Kensington Palace. A Food Standards Scotland (FSS) investigation found Robinson also misled genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants under the false pretence they were a unique, locally-grown variety. On May 25, he was found guilty of two counts of fraud to a value of almost £553,000 after a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court, which followed an investigation by FSS. Robinson, also known as Tam O'Braan and Thomas O'Brien, tried to bolster his credibility by fabricating academic qualifications and industry awards. On Wednesday, Robinson was sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court. Hours earlier, his lawyer withdrew from the case. Representing himself, Robinson begged for 'compassion' as he appeared by videolink from HMP Low Moss, wearing a green sweatshirt. Sheriff Keith O'Mahony refused a bid to defer sentence and said it was in the public interest that it went ahead, as Robinson was 'articulate' enough to represent himself. Robinson, who told the court he has four children and attends church, claimed he awoke every morning in his cell plagued with guilt about the 'reputational damage' caused to genuine Scottish tea growers. 'I've had time to wrestle with this over sleepless nights, coming to realise how wrong and stupid I've been,' he told the court. 'The damage this has on all concerned, the stigma of misleading others… I should have been much more transparent and owned up to the situation. Hubris and arrogance made me believe I did my best. 'The method by which you could grow tea in Scotland, something I was told you couldn't do… I didn't know the best, I didn't act as I should have. I go to church, I'm perfectly aware that a sin is not only to do something, but also not to do the right thing. 'The shame of that hangs over me every morning every time I wake up in my cell. Central to that guilt I'm responsible for reputational damage of those involved and reputational damage of growing tea in Scotland. 'It was a scheme I received support from the Scottish Government. I solemnly hope my actions have not detracted from the success which can be achieved for people who want to grow tea in Scotland. I can only offer my sincere apologies if my actions have besmirched that capability.' He told the court he had experienced 'suicidal emotions' due to guilt and had been 'too ashamed to explain' to his four children. Robinson claimed he would not reoffend and had learnt from his actions, 'not only from shock of my conviction but truthful acceptance of what I have done'. He added: 'I solemnly would ask that the above is taken into consideration not as an excuse but an acceptance of the serious nature of my actions and inactions, and I throw myself on the mercy of the court for your compassion.' Sheriff O'Mahony said the jury had 'generally rejected' Robinson's evidence, and the charges spanned five years and totalled £552,988. He added: 'By any measure these convictions must be regarded as significant. Mr O'Brien demonstrated significant planning, he was persistent, he repeatedly made false statements. 'These charges are not victimless, witness after witness gave evidence and said they would not have had the transaction if they had known. They were convinced on false pretences to hand over significant sums of money.' Robinson put his head in his hands as the three-and-a-half year sentence was handed down. Helen Nisbet, procurator fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: 'Individuals, businesses, and genuine Scottish tea growers suffered financial and reputational harm as a consequence of Robinson's deceit. 'But thanks to partnership working between Food Standards Scotland, Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, he has been brought to account for his crimes. 'We are committed to tackling financial crime of this kind.' Ron McNaughton, of FSS, said: 'We welcome today's sentencing as a clear signal that food fraud is a serious crime with serious consequences. 'A three-and-a-half year custodial sentence reflects the scale and impact of Mr Robinson's deception. His actions caused real financial and reputational harm to individuals, businesses and a developing sector of genuine Scottish tea producers. 'This outcome is the result of a complex and painstaking investigation involving a dedicated team at FSS and the co-operation of partner agencies and key witnesses. 'It demonstrates that those who set out to mislead consumers and defraud businesses will be held accountable. 'Food fraud undermines consumer trust and damages the integrity of Scotland's globally respected food and drink sector. We remain committed to detecting and disrupting criminal activity of this nature.'
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
What are the government's planned welfare changes?
A significant number of Labour MPs are threatening to vote against the government's working-age welfare reform plan when it comes before the House of Commons next reforms are designed to reduce the overall working-age welfare bill by about £5bn a year by the end of the rebel MPs have signed an amendment to the legislation that makes a series of objections, including a lack of official consultation and impact Verify explains the detail of the reforms and their possible impact. Which benefits would be cut? The government wants to save money by:making it harder for people to access Personal Independence Payments (Pip)cutting the rate of incapacity benefitIncapacity benefit - which is mainly paid through the health element of Universal Credit - goes to those deemed to be unable to work for health benefit is set to be reduced by 50% in cash terms for new claimants from April 2026. For existing claimants, it is due to be held flat in cash terms until 2029-30 - meaning payments will not rise in line with inflation. The government estimates these two changes will save £3bn a year by the end of the is paid to people with a long-term physical or mental health condition or a disability and who need support. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has acknowledged that almost 20% of recipients are in work. The government plans to make it more difficult for people to claim the "daily living" element of Pip from 2026-27. Under the current assessment system, claimants are scored on a zero to 12 scale by a health professional on everyday tasks such as washing, getting dressed and preparing are the Pip and universal credit changes and who is affected?Under the proposed change, people would need to score at least four on one task, ruling out people with lower scores who would previously have qualified for the benefit. The government estimates this will save an additional £4.5bn a year from the welfare bill by the end of the decade. Why is the government trying to cut welfare spending? It is concerned about the rise in the number of people claiming working-age benefits in recent years and the implications of this trend for the public Autumn, the government projected that the numbers of working-age claimants of Pip in England, Scotland and Wales would rise from 2.7 million in 2023-24 to 4.3 million in 2029-30, an increase of 1.6 that time, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the government's official forecaster, projected that the overall cost of the working-age benefit system would rise from £48.5bn in 2024 to £75.7bn by would have represented an increase from 1.7% of the size of the UK economy to 2.2%, roughly the size of current spending on defence. Ministers argue that this rising bill needs to be brought under control and that changes to the welfare system are part of that is worth noting though that - even after factoring in the planned cuts - the OBR still projected this bill to continue to rise in cash terms to £72.3bn by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) still projected the total number of working-age Pip recipients to rise by 1.2 million between 2023-24 and 2029-30 - after the cuts. In this sense, the main effect of the Pip cuts would be to reduce the increase in claimants that would otherwise have occurred. What would the impact of the reforms be? The government's official impact assessment estimates that about 250,000 additional people (including 50,000 children) will be left in "relative poverty" (after housing costs) by 2030 because of the that assessment included the impact of the government deciding not to proceed with welfare reforms planned by the previous Conservative administration, which government analysts had judged would have pushed an additional 150,000 people into charities and research organisations have suggested this means the government's 250,000 estimate understates the impact of its own reforms, since the previous administration's reforms were never actually Porter from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has suggested the actual poverty impact of the government's changes could therefore be up to 400,000 (adding the 250,000 figure to the 150,000 figure to generate an estimate of the total numbers affected).However, the government's impact assessment cautions against simply adding the two figures together, noting that "some people are affected by more than one [reform] measure", meaning this approach risks double counting account of this, the Resolution Foundation think tank has estimated that the net effect of the government's reforms would mean "at least 300,000" people entering relative poverty by 2030. What about the impact on employment? The government has claimed that its reforms are not just about saving money, but helping people into Rachel Reeves told Sky News in March 2025 that: "I am absolutely certain that our reforms, instead of pushing people into poverty, are going to get people into work. And we know that if you move from welfare into work, you are much less likely to be in poverty."To this end, the government is gradually increasing the standard allowance in Universal Credit - the basic sum paid to cover recipients' living costs - by £5 a week by is projected to be a net benefit to 3.8 million households and the government argues it will also increase the incentives for people to work rather than claim incapacity government is also investing an extra £1bn a year by 2029-30 in additional support to get people out of inactivity and into employment. What are the rebels' objections? The rebel MPs say disabled people have not been consulted on the proposed also say there has been no evaluation of the overall employment impacts by the is true that the government has not consulted disabled people on the specific cuts to Pip and incapacity benefits, though it is now consulting on the broader reform is also the case that the OBR has not yet done a full employment impact assessment, though the forecaster says it will do one before the Autumn the Resolution Foundation has done its own estimate of the employment impact of the overall reform estimates the total increase in employment could be between 60,000 and 105,000, although it stressed that these figures are highly positive employment figure contrasts with the 800,000 people who are projected to lose part of their Pip payments by 2029-30 and the 3 million people families who will see a cut in their incapacity benefits. What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?
The Herald Scotland
10 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Robinson unable to rule out compulsory redundancies
The long-delayed report, which was supposed to be published last month, says that without action, Scotland faces a £2.6bn gap in resource spending and £2.1bn in capital spending by 2029–30. READ MORE Alongside the MTFS, the Government published a Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan, setting out how ministers hope to close that gap. Specific measures include reducing the public sector workforce by an average of 0.5% annually. With 469,100 full-time equivalent staff on the books, this would be the equivalent of around 11,611 full-time workers by the end of the decade. Forbes, Swinney and Robison outside the chamber (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA) The move should lead to savings of £700m annually, and ministers are confident it can be achieved through staff turnover and a freeze on recruitment. However, speaking in Holyrood, the Finance Secretary, Shona Robison, was unable to say there would be no compulsory redundancies. Answering a question from Labour's Daniel Johnston, the minister said: "I have been engaging with the unions and the STUC around this, is that no compulsory redundancy maintains to be the default position. "But as a last resort, once all steps have been taken through voluntary severance, through redeployment, if there is no other route and there are no jobs for those people involved, then the compulsory redundancy can be considered, but only at the end of that route. "So we believe that these reductions can be made through natural attrition and voluntary severance, and it is only in that extreme position that that would be enabled, and we don't see that happening in very many cases." Public sector wages represent 55% of Scotland's resource budget. Pay agreements in 2025–26, including NHS workers' 4.25% increase, have already exceeded the Government's 3% guideline. Alongside the strategy and the plan, the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) published its latest economic and fiscal updates. The watchdog said that the total funding available to the Scottish Government will rise from £61.3bn in 2026–27 to £66.5bn by 2029–30. However, after accounting for inflation, this represents an increase of only 0.8% per year in real terms. Next year, the Scottish Government's day-to-day spending will be £54bn, but after subtracting social security costs, only £46.3bn will remain. By 2029–30, this will increase slightly to £50.1bn. Ms Robison blamed the financial settlement from Westminster, pointing to a £400m shortfall triggered by the Labour Government's refusal to fully fund increased employer National Insurance contributions. She said changes to welfare payments could cost Scotland an extra £440m by 2029–30. "Managing the impact of Westminster austerity is all too familiar," Ms Robison told MSPs. "We continue to invest in the people of Scotland, supporting a better-paid public sector, delivering high-quality public services and providing welfare support not available elsewhere in the UK. And we have managed this while balancing the budget every year." Beyond cutting the workforce, the Government believes it can save between £600m and £1.5bn each year over the next five years by adopting new technology, increasing automation, and encouraging closer working between public agencies. Around 12,000 civil service jobs to go (Image: PA) The Government will also carefully reassess infrastructure spending due to high inflation in construction costs. Ms Robison confirmed she would publish a multi-year Scottish Spending Review alongside December's budget. The other key pillars of the plan to tackle the black hole are growth and tax. On economic growth, the minister said the Government would aim to increase business activity to broaden the tax base, while on taxation, she hinted at a potential wealth tax, with the Government committing to the publication of a literature review on the measure. Labour finance spokesman Michael Marra pointed to the £9.1bn extra coming to the Scottish Government in the coming years as a result of UK Government decisions. 'Today is the day years of gross mismanagement of the public finances by SNP ministers caught up with them – and the price is being paid by ordinary Scots,' he said. 'Let's be crystal clear, by no definition other than the SNP's can the budget they receive be described as austerity. 'The reason this Government is making cuts is because they have spectacularly mismanaged Scotland's budget. 'It's SNP ministers who have created a structural deficit of a staggering £2.6bn – that's a result of choices that you made.' READ MORE Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Craig Hoy said the workforce reduction target 'lacks ambition and detail.' He told MSPs: 'The last medium-term financial strategy was over two years ago – last year's was binned and this year's was delayed. 'By slipping out this year's strategy just before recess, we have no time to properly scrutinise this plan. 'But what we do know is that without radical action on public sector reform, on health and on labour force trends, Scots face substantially higher taxes or a state that does less. 'But the projected £5bn fiscal gap by the end of the decade is not Westminster's fault or responsibility, it is the SNP's.' David Phillips, an Associate Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said "tougher financial choices" were still to come. He said the £2.6bn a year funding gap was "roughly equivalent to spending on Scottish police and fire services, or the revenue from increasing all rates of income tax in Scotland by around four percentage points." "As the MTFS and SFC make clear, current forecasts for the contribution of devolved tax revenues to the Scottish Budget are likely optimistic, as they assume earnings grow significantly faster in Scotland than in the rest of the UK from 2026–27 onwards. "All else equal, if earnings instead grew at the same rate as in the rest of the UK, the 'funding gap' for day-to-day spending would be closer to £3.5bn." He said the multi-year spending review would also have to say which services will be cut back in order to protect spending on the Scottish Government's key priorities – poverty, climate change, economic growth, and effective public services. "This will likely require steep cuts to some other 'non-priority' areas, and a laser-like focus on how effective spending actually is – not all spending on the Government's priorities can and should survive the chop. "Indeed, the scale of the fiscal challenge could necessitate the Scottish Government to make trade-offs between its four priorities." "The fiscal challenge facing Scotland is large and real. So as the current Government and opposition parties begin to set out their election pitch to voters, it will be vital to scrutinise what their plans would mean for Scotland's finances," he added.
