Keir Starmer to face PMQs after watered-down welfare reforms vote
The Prime Minister's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill passed its first hurdle on Tuesday night, with MPs voting 335 to 260 in favour.
However, it was a hollowed-out version of the initial proposals.
Starmer's welfare reforms originally wanted to cut Universal Credit health top-ups for new claims from April 2026, review Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments, and 'focus PIP on those with higher needs'.
The cuts to Universal Credit would have directly impacted benefit claimants in Scotland, while the other changes would have impacted the amount of money coming to Social Security Scotland for devolved benefits.
However, 126 Labour backbenchers signed an amendment last week to halt the welfare reform legislation.
The rebels argued that the plans were rushed and would push vulnerable disabled people into poverty.
Starmer's government was forced to backtrack not once but twice before the crucial vote on Tuesday.
Under the concessions, PIP claimants will continue to receive the benefits they currently get, as will recipients of the health element of universal credit.
Then, on Tuesday evening, just hours before the vote, disability minister Sir Stephen Timms conceded that changes to PIP will not take place until after a review of the benefit has concluded.
Starmer is likely to face questions and scrutiny from opposition leaders about these last minute changes, and about his leadership of the Labour party.
PMQs will be live from the House of Commons at noon on Wednesday.
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The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Keir Starmer to join European leaders for Zelenskyy-Trump meeting at White House on Monday
Update: Date: 2025-08-17T11:36:05.000Z Title: Giorgia Meloni Content: UK prime minister, French president and German chancellor among leaders meeting Donald Trump on Monday after Ukrainian president's request Kirsty McEwen (now) and Yohannes Lowe (earlier) Sun 17 Aug 2025 13.28 CEST First published on Sun 17 Aug 2025 09.44 CEST From 1.28pm CEST 13:28 Sir Keir Starmer will join President Zelenskyy and European leaders for a meeting with President Trump at the White House on Monday, Downing Street has said. 1.14pm CEST 13:14 Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson will virtually attend Sunday's meeting with the coalition of the willing before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Washington on Monday, a spokesperson from the prime minister's office told Reuters. Kristersson will however not fly to Washington with Zelenskyy alongside other European leaders on Monday, the spokesperson said. 12.57pm CEST 12:57 Italian prime minister is also due to travel to Washington tomorrow, her office has said. Meloni, who has been labelled as 'Europe's Trump whisperer' and has spent time at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida home, was the only European leader invited to his inauguration in January. Trump has described the Italian prime minister, a supporter of Ukraine, as 'a wonderful person'. Updated at 12.57pm CEST 12.37pm CEST 12:37 Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, will also be travelling to Washington tomorrow for the Trump-Zelenskyy talks, according to the federal government. The chancellor's spokesperson has been quoted by BBC News as having said: The trip will serve as an exchange of information with US President Donald Trump following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Chancellor Merz will discuss the status of peace efforts with the heads of state and government and underscore Germany's interest in a swift peace agreement in Ukraine. The talks will address, among other things, security guarantees, territorial issues, and continued support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression. This includes maintaining the pressure of sanctions. Speaking to the German public broadcaster ZDF yesterday after being briefed together with other European leaders by Trump on his talks with Putin, Merz said the US was ready to be part of security guarantees for Ukraine, without spelling out exactly what this would entail. French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb will also go to Washington with Zelesnkyy on Monday. In a statement, the French presidency office says the leaders will pursue 'coordination between the Europeans and the United States with the goal of coming to a just and lasting peace that preserves the vital interests of Ukraine and the security of Europe.' Updated at 12.45pm CEST 12.27pm CEST 12:27 The coalition of the willing video conference call is expected to be led by the UK and France and take place at about 14:00 BST. Updated at 12.35pm CEST 12.09pm CEST 12:09 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has just confirmed in a post on X that she will be meeting Donald Trump along with other European leaders in the White House on Monday at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She also said that she will welcome Zelenskyy in Brussels later today and together will participate in a meeting of European leaders part of the 'coalition of the willing'. French President Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte will also go to Washington DC with Zelesnkyy tomorrow. The coalition of the willing, set up by the UK and France as the Trump administration threatened to withdraw security support for Europe, is made up of more than 30 countries working together to support Ukraine. Its aim is to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a deal being reached between Kyiv and Moscow, with several countries, including France and the UK, having pledged to send troops on the ground to enforce a potential agreement. Updated at 1.24pm CEST 11.57am CEST 11:57 European officials will decide this weekend whether Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be accompanied on the visit to Washington tomorrow. They are keen to avoid the chaotic scenes played out in front of the world's press in the White House in February, when Donald Trump got into a shouting match with the Ukrainian leader, telling him to make a deal with Russia 'or we're out' and warning that Zelenskyy was 'gambling with world war three'. Zelenskyy left the White House early after Trump gave him a dressing-down that followed an ambush led by vice-president JD Vance, a skeptic of US support for Ukraine. Politico is reporting that, in order to prevent another potential flare up and to try to ensure greater European involvement in negotiations, Finnish President Alexander Stubb – and possibly Nato secretary general Mark Rutte – may accompany Zelenskyy for his Washington trip tomorrow. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen may also join, according to Bloomberg, but these plans are not finalised. All three senior European figures have a seemingly good relationship with the US president. Updated at 11.59am CEST 11.16am CEST 11:16 Russia's defence ministry said this morning that Russian forces had destroyed and intercepted 300 Ukrainian drones and struck storage sites for Sapsan operational-tactical missiles, Interfax news agency reported. Russia's defence ministry said Russian forces had gained better positions near the settlement of Zolotyi Kolodiaz in the Donetsk region, though pro-Ukrainian maps showed that Ukrainian forces had contained the Russian advance, Reuters reports. The defence ministry said war planes, drones and missiles had been used to strike Ukrainian storage sites for Sapsan missiles across the country. 'Four guided aerial bombs and 300 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by air defense systems,' the ministry was quoted as having said. Updated at 12.00pm CEST 10.53am CEST 10:53 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia is complicating efforts to end the war. In a post on X, he wrote: We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation. If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades. But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war. Today, coordination with partners has been ongoing throughout the day … We are preparing for Monday's meeting with President Trump, and I am grateful for the invitation. It is important that everyone agrees there needs to be a conversation at the level of leaders to clarify all the details and determine which steps are necessary and will work. 10.42am CEST 10:42 The Ukrainian military said on Saturday it had pushed Russian forces back by about 2km (1.2 miles) on part of the Sumy front in northern Ukraine. There was no immediate comment from Russia, which controls a little over 200 sq km in the region, according to Ukraine's battlefield mapping project DeepState. Updated at 11.35am CEST 10.18am CEST 10:18 US President Donald Trump said after Friday's meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that he wants to bypass a ceasefire and move straight to a permanent peace deal. This is a major shift in policy. Before the summit, Trump demanded Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire or face heavy US sanctions on oil exports. Ukrainian and European leaders fear that a straight-to-peace deal, skipping over a preliminary ceasefire, gives Moscow an upper hand in talks. After calls with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump wrote on social media on Saturday that 'it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.' With Russia and Ukraine far apart in their demands, it is not clear how easily that could be achieved. We are likely to be issued with a joint statement from the leaders of the 'coalition of the willing' on the call later – it is not clear if they will use the word ceasefire or adopt more vague language to align themselves more with the new American position. Updated at 11.38am CEST 10.06am CEST 10:06 Here is some more detail from the report from my colleagues Edward Helmore and Pjotr Sauer about Trump backing a plan to cede unoccupied Ukrainian territory to Russia to secure an end to the war, with Putin demanding Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk as a condition for peace: Although Luhansk is almost entirely under Russian control, Ukraine still holds key parts of Donetsk, including the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk and heavily fortified positions whose defence has cost tens of thousands of lives. Putin told Trump that in exchange for Donetsk and Luhansk, he would halt further advances and freeze the frontline in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces occupy significant areas. Trump's support for ceding Ukraine's Donbas region (composed of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions), which is rich in mineral resources, including coal and iron ore, to Russia comes as he voiced support for moving straight to a peace deal and not via a ceasefire, which, Trump said in a social media post on Saturday, 'often times do not hold up.' US support for ceding the Donbas to Russia represents a breach with Ukraine and European allies that oppose such a deal. As part of a deal, the US is ready to be part of security guarantees for Ukraine, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said on Saturday. Trump has threatened economic penalties on countries that buy Russian oil if Moscow refuses a deal and flew US bombers over the Russian leader as he arrived in Alaska. But Ukrainian and European leaders fear that a straight-to-peace deal, skipping over a preliminary ceasefire, gives Moscow an upper hand in talks. 9.44am CEST 09:44 Welcome back to our live coverage of Russia's war on Ukraine. While Washington prepares to welcome Volodymyr Zelenskyy for crunch talks with Donald Trump on Monday, European leaders who make up the so-called 'coalition of the willing', a loose partnership of western countries pledging support for Ukraine, are set to hold a conference call on Sunday to try to protect a peace deal that does not reward Russia for its aggression. The virtual call is being co-chaired by the UK's prime minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz. At the Alaska summit on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk as a condition for ending the war, but offered Trump a freeze along the remaining frontline, two sources with direct knowledge of the talks told the Guardian. Trump reportedly backed the plan to cede unoccupied Ukrainian territory to Russia to secure an end to the war, telling European leaders that he believed a peace deal could be negotiated if Zelenskyy agreed to give up the Donbas region (which is composed of Donetsk and Luhansk). European leaders have repeatedly said that Zelenskyy, who has been sidelined in much of the US-Russian diplomacy to date, must play a greater role in future talks as a lasting peace cannot be achieved without his input. In a statement released on Saturday after the Alaska talks between Trump and Putin ended without any breakthrough, Starmer said in a statement posted to X: President Trump's efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended. While progress has been made, the next steps must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him. Stay with us as we will be keeping you up to date with the latest political and military developments throughout the day. Updated at 10.05am CEST
Sky News
15 minutes ago
- Sky News
Sir Keir Starmer will be accompanying Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington
Sir Keir Starmer will be accompanying Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington tomorrow for his crunch meeting with Donald Trump. He will join European leaders including France's president Emmanuel Macron, Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Also set to attend are NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission. It comes after the US president reportedly extended an invitation to them. Please refresh the page for the latest version.
Scottish Sun
44 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
DWP confirms exactly when it will launch huge benefits crackdown that means banks can identify fraudsters
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Government has confirmed when it's planning to bring in controversial new powers aimed at cracking down on benefits fraudsters. Banks will be drafted in to help identify benefits cheats and convicted fraudsters could be stripped of their driving licences under the new Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plans. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The Government wants to crack down on benefits fraudsters and save taxpayers billions Credit: Alamy New Government documents have revealed it's planning to bring the measures under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill in April 2026. The DWP has said it will be the "biggest fraud crackdown in a generation". It's estimated the new powers could save taxpayers £1.5billion over five years. Last year, an estimated £7.4billion was lost to benefits fraud - around 2.8% of total welfare spending. A further £1.6bn (0.6%) was overpaid due to unintentional errors by claimants, while £0.8bn (0.3%) was overpaid because of errors by the DWP. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been trying to boost the public purse after it was revealed she needs to plug a £50billion hole in public finances. The new measures mean banks will help to identify customers who might have breached benefit eligibility rules, such as exceeding the £16,000 savings limit for Universal Credit. They will share limited data with the DWP but can't provide transaction details, so officials won't be able to see how benefit claimants spend their money. The DWP also won't gain direct access to claimants' bank accounts, but it will receive cases flagged for investigation. Financial institutions face penalties if they overshare information beyond what's permitted. DWP will have access to YOUR bank accounts to tackle debt as Brits told 'get back to work' in major push on unemployed Airlines and other third-party organisations might also have to provide information to help detect benefit claims made from abroad that could violate eligibility rules. According to the Government documents, any information "will not be shared on the presumption or suspicion that anyone is guilty of any offence". However officials will gain authority to recover money directly from fraudsters' bank accounts. As well as this, persistent benefit fraudsters who fail to repay their debts could face driving bans lasting up to two years. DWP minister Liz Kendall has pledged to clamp down on benefit cheats, saying back in March: "The social security system that we inherited from the Conservatives is failing the very people that it is supposed to help and is holding our country back. "The facts speak for themselves. One in 10 people of working age are now claiming a sickness or disability benefit. Almost one million young people are not in education, employment or training - one in eight of all our young people." The DWP has said it will have strong safeguards in place, including new inspection and reporting mechanisms. DWP staff will also receive comprehensive training before using the new powers. However campaign groups have warned the powers could invade claimants' rights to financial privacy and it could also lead to legitimate claimants being wrongly investigated. In a letter to Kendall last year, the directors of Big Brother Watch and Age UK described the plans as "mass financial surveillance powers" which they said would "represent a severe and disproportionate intrusion into the nation's privacy".
