
SNP MPs join Labour rebels in bid to kill off benefit cuts
The party has given its backing to a backbench amendment that would thwart proposals in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill.
The bill seeks to cut back disability benefit payments by around £5 billion per year.
The amendment opposing the cuts has been signed by more than 120 Labour MPs in what marks the biggest rebellion Keir Starmer has faced since he came to power.
Twelve Scottish Labour MPs are among those to have signed the amendment, which notes that the UK Government's 'own impact assessment estimates that 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of [the bill], including 50,000 children'.
READ MORE: Labour's welfare cuts 'to cost 300,000 Scots £500 per year' – Trussell
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner confirmed to the House of Commons on Wednesday Labour are planning to press ahead with a vote despite mounting opposition to the reforms.
Stephen Flynn, SNP Westminster leader, said all SNP MPs have signed the amendment.
He called on all parties to unite to 'stop Keir Starmer's attack on disabled people'.
Flynn asked, in particular, Scottish Labour MPs who are yet to sign the amendment to 'do the right thing'.
'The best way to kill this bill and stop Labour's attack on disabled people is to ensure this amendment is taken and voted on next Tuesday and the best way to ensure that happens is if this amendment is cross-party,' he said.
'That's why all SNP MPs have now signed this amendment. It is essential that parties and MPs across the parliament now unite to stop Keir Starmer's attack on disabled people.
READ MORE: Here's what we learned from John Curtice's new polling report
'The SNP is clear that these cuts to disability can't just be delayed, they need to be stopped altogether. We will continue to use every parliamentary tactic to make sure that happens.
'I would urge more MPs and parties to follow our lead – in particular the two thirds of Scottish Labour MPs who have yet to sign this amendment. If they refuse to do the right thing, it falls on Anas Sarwar to instruct every one of his MPs to vote against Labour's attack on disabled people.'
On Wednesday, the Trussell Trust warned that 300,000 disabled and sick Scots are set to lose £500 a year if the Labour Government's plan are pushed through – with new claimants hit by as much as £3000.
Under the proposals in the bill, eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) will be limited, along with the health-related element of Universal Credit.
Prime Minister Starmer said on Wednesday morning from The Hague: 'We're pressing on with a vote on this because we need to bring about reform.'
Defending the plans while at a Nato summit, Starmer said the current system 'traps people in a position where they can't get into work'.
'In fact, it's counterproductive, it works against them getting into work,' he said.
'So we have to reform it, and that is a Labour argument, it's a progressive argument.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


STV News
29 minutes ago
- STV News
Ministers in talks over welfare concessions to head off growing Labour rebellion
Ministers are discussing the prospect of further concessions to win over a growing list of Labour MPs poised to rebel against planned welfare reforms ahead of a crunch vote next week. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said talks between backbenchers and government were 'ongoing' on Wednesday night as Downing Street seeks to head off what would be Sir Keir Starmer's first Commons defeat. It came as six more Labour MPs added their names to an amendment that would halt the legislation in its tracks, arguing disabled people have not been properly consulted and further scrutiny of the changes is needed. The new signatories include the Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee chairman Toby Perkins, Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell, Newcastle upon Tyne MP Mary Glindon and Tamworth MP Sarah Edwards. North Ayrshire and Arran MP Irene Campbell and Colchester MP Pam Cox, both of whom won their seats in the party's 2024 landslide election victory, have also added their names. The new names takes the total number of Labour backbenchers supporting the so-called 'reasoned amendment,' tabled by Treasury Select Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hiller, to 126. The prime minister has insisted the reforms are set for a Commons vote on Tuesday as planned, but ministers are locked in talks with backbenchers about the possibility of making changes to soften the impact of the Bill as a major revolt looms. Asked what concessions could be offered to convince rebels to back the government, Ms Rayner sought to reassure backbenchers that they would not be expected to betray the party's traditional values. 'I'm not going to get into that on your show tonight,' she said in an interview on ITV's Peston programme. 'Those discussions are ongoing around making sure that the welfare reforms that we're bringing in support people into work who need that, and we're putting a huge amount of investment into doing that, but also protecting the most vulnerable.' She acknowledged that 'a lot of people are very scared about these changes' but added: 'I haven't changed my Labour values and we're not expecting our benches to do anything that isn't in check with them. 'What we want to do is support people, and that is the crucial bit around these reforms of what Labour are trying to achieve, and we're discussing that with our MPs.' The plans restrict eligibility for personal independence payment (Pip), the main disability payment in England, and limit the sickness-related element of universal credit. The government hopes the changes will get more people back into work and save up to £5 billion a year. Existing claimants will be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support, a move seen as a bid to head off opposition by aiming to soften the impact of the changes. But the fact so many Labour MPs are prepared to put their names to the 'reasoned amendment' calling for a change of course shows how entrenched the opposition remains. According to the government's impact assessment, the welfare reforms as a whole could push an extra 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into relative poverty. Asked whether she thought there were hundreds of thousands of people claiming disability benefits who were not disabled, Ms Rayner said: 'No, what we're saying though is that the welfare system has to be able to have longevity.' Earlier on Wednesday, Sir Keir defended his leadership against accusations he had misjudged the mood in his party, insisting he is 'comfortable with reading the room'. At a press conference at the Nato summit in The Hague, the prime minister said: 'Is it tough going? Are there plenty of people and noises off? Yes, of course, there always are, there always have been, there always will be. 'But the important thing is to focus on the change that we want to bring about.' Meanwhile, the Tories seem unlikely to lend the government their support, with leader Kemi Badenoch setting out conditions for doing so including a commitment to rule out tax rises in the autumn budget and further cut the benefits bill. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country


Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Megapoll finds Labour faces election disaster just a year after landslide: Angela Rayner and Yvette Cooper among hundreds of MPs on track to lose seats - but Reform would need Tories to put Farage in No10
Labour would face disaster if an election was held today - but Reform would need an alliance with the Tories to put Nigel Farage in power. As Keir Starmer prepares to mark a year since his landslide, a huge YouGov poll has underlined his extraordinary fall from grace. From 403 MPs currently it found Labour would be reduced to just 178 if the country went to the polls again today. A large section of the Cabinet would lose their seats - including Deputy PM Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper, Pat McFadden, Bridget Phillipson, Lisa Nandy and John Healey. Reform would see a stunning rise from five MPs to 271, while the Tories would endure an even worse result to drop to just 46. However, Mr Farage would still be well short of the 326 needed for an outright majority. The most plausible option could be teaming up with the Conservatives, which would mean a combined 317 MPs. That is the same number Theresa May secured in 317, when she clung on in No10 with help from the DUP. The grim findings emerged with Sir Keir poised to make humiliating concessions on benefits reforms today after failing to quell a massive Labour revolt. Ministers have been hinting at a climbdown as they face a disastrous defeat in a crunch Commons vote on the flagship legislation. Despite frantic direct pleas from the PM and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, more MPs have added their names to a fatal amendment overnight. Around 130 have now publicly declared they will oppose the Second Reading of the Bill, easily enough to overturn even Labour's massive majority. The YouGov study was conducted using the so-called MRP method - which profiles the characteristics of voters in constituencies to convert polling into seat-by-seat results. The research - conducted between May 29 and June 18 - found Reform was supported by 26 per cent of Brits. Labour was three points behind on 23 per cent, the Tories on 18 per cent and the Lib Dems on 15 per cent. In terms of seats, the Lib Dems could increase their tally to 81, while the SNP would restore their dominance in Scotland with 43. The Greens were seen as getting seven MPs. YouGov said: 'As well as winning just 224 seats between them in the central projection, the two traditional powerhouse parties of British politics, Labour and the Conservatives, would win a combined vote share of just 41 per cent, down from 59 per cent last year. 'That a clear majority would now vote for someone other than the two established main parties of British politics is a striking marker of just how far the fragmentation of the voting public has gone over the past decade.'


Metro
44 minutes ago
- Metro
Pip rebels mulling confidence vote in PM say 'don't threaten us with good time'
Labour MPs breaking with No 10 over cuts to benefits are weighing the likelihood of a confidence vote in Keir Starmer if a vote on Tuesday goes ahead. More than 120 rebels have signed on to a 'reasoned amendment' calling for the government's flagship welfare bill to be scrapped – more than enough to overturn Labour's huge majority. If the upcoming vote on the bill takes place as planned and it is defeated by a groundswell of Starmer's own MPs, his leadership could be at risk. One backbench Labour MP told Metro colleagues were asking if leaders who refused to listen to their concerns were really who they wanted taking them into the next election. In short, they said the message to those voicing fears over Starmer's future was: 'Don't threaten us with a good time.' However, the same MP said such an eventuality was not 'what anyone wants to see' less than a year after the last general election. Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here. Ministers have been in conversation with many of the MPs leading the opposition to the welfare bill, to explore what tweaks – if any – could be made to secure their support. One backbencher who recently met with Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said the conversation had been 'really positive', though no agreement had been reached. Last night, the Telegraph reported Downing Street was preparing to table its own amendment to the bill with the aim of winning over some of the more persuadable holdouts. Among other measures, the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill would make it harder for people to claim the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) disability benefit. The government argues it is needed to encourage people back into work, stem the increase in the UK's benefit bill, and fix the welfare system. But it has been met with opposition by disability campaign groups and charities. Ross Barrett, Policy Manager at the MS Society, described Pip as a 'lifeline not a luxury' and said the proposed cuts would be 'devastating to disabled people, including many with MS.' He added: 'By speaking up about these harmful benefits cuts, MPs are showing that they are listening to disabled people. It's now time for the government to follow suit and drop the Welfare Bill.' More Trending Stepping in for Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, Deputy PM Angela Rayner was unequivocal that the vote on Tuesday would be going ahead. But several rebels told Metro they were confident the government would end up with no choice but to scrap it and go back to the drawing board. Nadia Whittome, one of the Labour MPs who signed the reasoned amendment, said: 'The government can insist all it wants that the votes are proceeding, but I don't think that position is tenable. 'They need to listen to backbenchers and withdraw this bill.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Sleeper cells are lurking in the UK — experts reveal how worried we should be MORE: This is where Keir Starmer will go if World War Three comes to London MORE: Emily Eavis addresses Kneecap backlash after calls to axe their Glastonbury set