Keir Starmer mulls sealing hat-trick of U-turns by watering down disability benefit changes as well as winter fuel and child cash cuts to appease Labour MPs
Keir Starmer is on course to complete a hat-trick of U-turns as he mulls watering down £5bn worth of disability benefit cuts in order to see off attacks from Labour backbenchers and Nigel Farage.
Reports suggest that claimants could get more time to seek support before Labour's welfare cuts are implemented under 'tweaks' being considered by the Prime Minister.
Sir Keir is facing a mounting backbench rebellion to plans to make it harder for people to claim incapacity payments, in order to save money and get people into work.
Peter Lamb, the Labour MP for Crawley, is the latest to publicly state he would vote against the plan, saying the party ranks are 'deeply uncomfortable' with it.
The PM has already signalled he plans to ease cuts to £300 winter fuel payment handouts for pensioners, and could soften the two-child cap on handouts for parents.
As well as uncomfortable Labour MPs, Reform UK leader Mr Farage is expected this week to commit to restoring the winter fuel payment in full, as well as scrapping the two-child benefit cap.
The move is an attempt to outflank Labour with its traditional working class supporters, according to Reform sources.
However, a course hit back accusing him of 'cosplaying' support for working people.
The Times said the Prime Minister is seeking to soften the blow of the cuts comes as he faces the growing threat of a backbench rebellion over the package of measures, which ministers hope will save the public purse £5 billion a year.
Benefit claimants could be given longer 'transitional periods' to seek out other benefits if they lose out as a result of the reforms, according to the Times.
A backbench rebellion over the proposals, which would tighten eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip) as part of a package aimed at getting more working age people currently on benefits into jobs, could spread to more than 100 MPs, some reports have suggested.
Mr Lamb last night told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour he would be 'voting against anything which is going to restrict access to Personal Independence Payments (Pip) further than it's currently restricted'.
'I know a lot of people, and these are not people on the far left of the party, who are deeply uncomfortable with some of the decisions that've already been taken, who are deeply uncomfortable with this proposal,' he said.
It would be very very hard at this point for them to turn around and change direction on this. It is something that matters an awful lot to people, we didn't come into politics to impoverish the most vulnerable members of society.'
Meanwhile Stella Creasy said the two-child benefit cap should be lifted.
The Walthamstow MP told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that lifting the cap would take '350,000 children out of poverty overnight'.
'It's worth reflecting on the fact that 60 per cent of those kids are in households where somebody is in work,' she added.
'What really matters is that child poverty strategy, because none of us want to be dependent on the welfare system as a way of helping every family make ends meet.
'And I am painfully aware of how many people in my local community still have too much month at the end of their money.'
Health minister Karin Smyth said 'politics is always about choices', telling BBC Radio 5 Live the Government had been able to ensure there was money for the NHS.
On the winter fuel payment U-turn, she said: 'It's an important balance, isn't it, in democracy to look at policies as they land, to listen to people affected, and what the Prime Minister is saying is that… we're looking at how people at the margins are impacted by that particular policy, I think that's the sign of a government that is listening.
'The Chancellor and the Treasury will have to review all of these in light of the key mission, which is to grow the economy and maintain economic stability.
'We know government is hard, and I think listening, looking at policies, how they impact, weighing up those costs and benefits is exactly the right thing to do.'
Labour backbenchers have already secured a partial U-turn from Sir Keir over the winter fuel payment cut, and are ramping up pressure on the Prime Minister to also scrap the two-child benefit cap.
The Prime Minister announced the change of direction on winter fuel at PMQs in the Commons last week, though details of when and how more pensioners might get the payment were not revealed.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner on Sunday indicated an announcement could come in weeks.
Ms Rayner suggested the Spending Review on June 11 was the 'first opportunity' to make the change.
'I mean, the Prime Minister has announced it, so logically to me that indicates that the Prime Minister wants to do something in this area.
'And if the Prime Minister wants to do that, I'm sure the Chancellor is going to look at how we can achieve that,' she told Sky News.
Ministers have reportedly been considering scrapping the cap, which restricts the amount of benefits parents can claim for more than two of their children, as part of their child poverty strategy.
Critics of the cap say removing it would be one of the most significant ways to prevent child poverty.
The plan, which was due to be published in the spring, is now set to come in the autumn so it can be aligned with the budget.
The Deputy PM branded Mr Farage a 'snake oil salesman' when she appeared on LBC on Sunday, and suggested Reform does not have a fully-costed plan behind its commitment.
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The Herald Scotland
5 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
All pupils in families on universal credit to be entitled to free school meals
Currently, households in England on universal credit must earn below £7,400 a year (after tax and not including benefits) to qualify for free school meals. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the expansion was 'a truly historic moment for our country' (Ben Birchall/PA) But the Government has announced that every pupil whose household is on universal credit will have a new entitlement to free school lunches from the start of the 2026/27 academic year. The move comes after campaigners and education leaders have called for free school meals to be extended to all children whose families are on universal credit to ease pressures on young people living in poverty. Nearly 2.1 million pupils – almost one in four of all pupils (24.6%) – in England were eligible for free school meals in January 2024. The DfE has said more than half-a-million more children are expected to benefit from a free meal every school day as a result of the expansion, and nearly £500 will be put back into parents' pockets every year. It suggested that the expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents' pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn. 'This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed.' The DfE is due to release data on Thursday morning showing the number of state school pupils in England who are eligible for free school meals. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'It is the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty, and today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents' pockets. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the intervention would help the Government 'deliver excellence everywhere, for every child' (Yui Mok/PA) 'From free school meals to free breakfast clubs, breaking the cycle of child poverty is at the heart of our Plan for Change to cut the unfair link between background and success. 'We believe that background shouldn't mean destiny. Today's historic step will help us to deliver excellence everywhere, for every child and give more young people the chance to get on in life.' The Government's child poverty taskforce is due to publish its 10-year strategy later this year. Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust social mobility charity, said: 'This is a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom. 'Children can't learn effectively when hungry, so this announcement not only helps to tackle the effects of child poverty, but will also likely help improve education outcomes for disadvantaged young people. 'Giving free school meals to all families who are eligible for universal credit is also easier for parents to understand, so has the potential to increase take-up rates.' Kate Anstey, head of education policy at the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) charity, said: 'This is fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families. 'At last, more kids will get the food they need to learn and thrive and millions of parents struggling to make ends meet will get a bit of breathing space. 'We hope this is a sign of what's to come in autumn's child poverty strategy, with government taking more action to meet its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty in the UK.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'There's some detail to be worked through on exactly how this transition will work and we look forward to talking with the Government about that. 'But, certainly, expanding free school meal eligibility in this way is absolutely the right thing to do.' Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: 'We join families and schools across England in welcoming this necessary and overdue first step in expanding free school meals eligibility. 'The existing threshold had been unchanged since 2018, meaning hundreds of thousands of children in poverty were missing out on the nutrition they need to thrive.' But he added that many children in families who just miss out on being eligible for universal credit will also 'miss out on a hot, healthy school meal'. Mr Kebede said: 'Ensuring that a free school meal is available to all children is the next urgent step that must be taken.' The Liberal Democrats said the change was a 'victory for thousands of passionate campaigners' but was 'only a first step' towards helping children in poverty. The party's education spokeswoman Munira Wilson MP said: 'Liberal Democrats have been pushing hard for this crucial change for years. It's a victory for thousands of passionate campaigners that the Government has finally listened.' She added: 'To end the cost-of-learning crisis, the Government needs to commit to auto-enrolling eligible children for free school meals, lifting the two-child benefit cap, and capping uniform costs to truly change the lives of children in poverty. We'll hold their feet to the fire to make sure today's change is just a start.'
Times
15 minutes ago
- Times
Labour's plan for illegal migrants explained — and is it working?
What you need to know Sir Keir Starmer has secured improved commitments from France on tackling small boats but this has yet to translate into action on the ground Labour believes a new bill going through the Lords would make a significant difference in its pledge to 'smash the gangs' Despite rejecting the Rwanda plan as a 'gimmick', the prime minister's plan for return hubs has a similar aim, but is still at an early stage Ministers are looking at tightening the rules around Article 8 of the ECHR, the right to family life, in asylum claims When Sir Keir Starmer entered No 10 almost a year ago he pledged to make good on Labour's election promise to 'smash the gangs' and succeed, where the Conservatives had failed, in securing Britain's borders against illegal migration. Yet so far this year almost 15,000 people have arrived in the UK in small boats — up 42 per cent on this time last year and a 95 per cent rise from the same point in 2023. This week ministers sought to blame the weather and insisted that their policies would be effective in making good on Starmer's pledge. But what exactly is the government doing, and how successful has it been? A new deal with France From the British side perhaps the most critical element of the government's small boats strategy has been to leverage Starmer's relationship with President Macron to persuade the French to take a more proactive approach to preventing small boats setting sail from French waters in the first place. At the start of the year the prime minister hosted Macron at Chequers, where the two leaders agreed to step up bilateral co-operation to prevent Channel crossings. This led to a formal agreement a month later under which the UK extended a £480 million deal to pay for policing French beaches in return for new measures to stem the flow of boats. In particular, Paris agreed to change the law to allow police officers to apprehend vessels in shallow waters and restore the offence of an 'illegal stay' in France, which would allow the police to arrest migrants and smugglers before they attempted a crossing. There was also a commitment by France to speed up the construction of a detention centre in Dunkirk — paid for by the British — which had become bogged down in planning rows. But, so far, these commitments have yet to materialise. The plan to enable police to intervene within 300m of the shore is yet to be implemented amid opposition from the officers themselves. There is also still slow progress on Dunkirk. Verdict: Ministers believe improved co-operation with France is as close as it comes to a silver bullet to stem the flow of boats. But while Starmer has won important commitments from Paris, which were never given to the last government, these commitments have yet to materialise into action on the ground. New legal powers to tackle smuggling gangs In January ministers published a bill that they claimed would give police anti-terrorism-style powers to 'identify, disrupt and prevent' organised immigration crime. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is going through the House of Lords, will make it illegal to handle items suspected of being used for organised immigration crime, such as boat parts and engines, with a maximum punishment of 14 years in prison. Those found collecting information that could be used by people smugglers will face up to five years in jail. This would include researching routes or vessels online, or arranging departure points, dates and times. The new offences will be accompanied by additional powers for Border Force officers, police and the National Crime Agency. They will be allowed to seize and search the mobile phones of anyone arriving in the UK illegally if they believe it will help an investigation into who organised the journey. The information gathered will also be available to be used in cases brought overseas. Verdict: Senior policing figures believe the legislation will make a difference in their ability to dismantle the smuggling gangs — pointing out that the numbers involved are in the hundreds — and are vulnerable to a concerted attempt to dismantle their activities. However, as the bill is not yet law, at the moment it remains an aspiration. Return hubs In one of his first acts as prime minister Starmer scrapped the Conservative Party's plans to send migrants to Rwanda, branding it a waste of money and a 'gimmick'. However, he is now drawing up a policy that sounds remarkably similar — sending failed asylum seekers to 'return hubs' in the west Balkans. There is one significant difference: the Tories planned to send all those who came to the UK on small boats abroad, while Labour's plan is limited to those who have exhausted all avenues of appeal. But the intent is similar: to deter people from making the crossings in the first place. Verdict: The plans are at a very early stage, and it is not a given that countries will agree to host the return hubs. Albania has already ruled out doing so. There remain significant legal and political challenges to getting the scheme off the ground. There is broader support for the idea among some EU states and also in the UN. But even if the plans get off the ground, there is no guarantee it will work as a deterrent. Deal with other countries In December Starmer negotiated a deal with Germany, which agreed to tighten its laws to make it easier to prosecute those helping to smuggle migrants to the UK. Ministers said this was important because facilitating people-smuggling to a third country was not technically illegal in Germany. However, the law has not yet been enacted, and ministers need to win approval from the new German government for it to be put into place. Starmer has also recently announced a partnership with Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia to detect and deter illegal migration operations. Verdict: The prime minister has made improving international co-operation to tackle smuggling gangs a big diplomatic priority for the government. But while the issue is a huge priority for the UK it is less important for other countries, and it remains to be seen how quickly and effectively diplomatic deals are converted into concrete action. The asylum backlog and hotels There are 8,000 more asylum seekers living in hotels than when Starmer pledged during the election campaign in June last year to 'end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds'. The reality of how difficult that is has become clear. 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Verdict: If decision-making can genuinely be sped up it will help not only to bring down the hotel bill, but could act as a deterrent for those considering making the journey across the Channel. Human rights laws Ministers will bring in a new framework for judges to work to when deciding whether to allow migrants to make claims for asylum using the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). The most heavily used part of the ECHR, Article 8 — the right to family life — has been leveraged by murderers and paedophiles to stay in the country. Cooper revealed this week about 30 per cent of cases had been considered 'exceptional' by judges, and she wants to restrict that to a more narrow set of circumstances. • Kemi Badenoch would override ECHR on asylum for illegal migrants Verdict: Restricting the scope of Article 8 will save ministers from some embarrassing headlines but is unlikely to be enough on its own to fulfil the government's immigration pledges. An appetite to direct judges — and suggestions that the government could be open to reforming the ECHR — shows a willingness from Starmer and Cooper to step into an arena previously inhabited by the Tories and Reform UK. But as those on the right ramp up pressure for Britain to pull out of the convention altogether, the efforts may fall short.
The Sun
16 minutes ago
- The Sun
Half a million more kids will be entitled to free school meals in massive expansion of the scheme
HALF a million more kids will be entitled to free school meals under a massive expansion of the scheme, Sir Keir Starmer announced last night. Every child in a household on Universal Credit will now be eligible for state sponsored lunches, in a move that should lift 100,000 children out of poverty. 1 Expanding free school meals will save parents on benefits £500 per child every year, according to the Department for Education. Kids in UC households currently not eligible will be able to start claiming lunches from the start of the 2026 school year. The entitlement will apply in all settings where free school meals are available, including school-based nurseries and further-education settings. Most parents will be able to apply before the start of the new school year by providing a national insurance number. Education Secretary Bridget Philipson told The Sun the move is critical for ending the post-pandemic school attendance crisis and cracking down on bad behaviour. She said: 'What we're announcing is a game changer. 'This will make a big difference to children's attendance and behaviour at school because we know that if kids are hungry, they don't concentrate well. 'Sun will benefit directly from saving £500 per child per year.' Since 2018 kids have only been eligible for free meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year. The major expansion comes ahead of the government's Child Poverty Taskforce publishing a ten-year strategy to drive down poverty. It also follows mounting pressure on the PM from rebel Labour MPs to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Sir Keir said: 'Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures. 'My government is taking action to ease those pressures. 'Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents' pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn.'
