Liz Kendall to face Labour MPs as government braces for huge benefits revolt
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is set to address the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) ahead of a major vote this month on cuts to sickness and disability benefits
Liz Kendall is expected to face Labour MPs as the government braces for its biggest revolt yet over controversial welfare cuts.
The Mirror understands the Work and Pensions Secretary will address a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) in the coming weeks. It will be a key chance for Labour MPs to quiz the minister on major welfare reforms behind-closed-doors.
It is likely to come before MPs are asked to vote in June on major cuts to sickness and disability benefits, with Keir Starmer facing the biggest rebellion of his premiership so far. Earlier this month Keir Starmer faced angry backbenchers at the same private meeting, with many raising the issue of welfare reform and migration.
Labour MP Ian Byrne told The Mirror: 'I will be attending the briefing from Liz Kendall and I hope the Government have listened to the disabled community who are terrified of the planned cuts, charities who have outlined their catastrophic impact and MPs who are relaying this message to the Government from their constituencies.
'After the Winter Fuel debacle and the damage it's done to the Government's standing, we need desperately to listen to the country and return to the core Labour values of tackling poverty and inequality and I hope this is the case otherwise I and many of my colleagues will vote against these measures as they currently stand.'
Another MP said: 'The PLP has a declining number of true believers. She'll be met by a mix of distant silence, lots of searching questions, and a sense of bewilderment.'
One MP told The Mirror: "If you think that Keir Starmer got a bit of a rough ride a couple of weeks ago and the largest issue that people had concerns about was welfare reform, and then you've got Liz Kendall standing in front of them, all of the concerns are going to be about welfare reform."
They added: "I would have thought that's going to be quite an interesting meeting." A second MP said: "There's a clear indication of the mood in the PLP - it's not very forgiving at the moment."
Concern has been building in the party since March when the government unveiled around £5billion in cuts to sickness and disability benefits. Most of the savings will be made from restricting eligibility to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) - a key disability benefit for people regardless of employment status.
Over 100 Labour MPs have said they cannot support the changes without further evidence. And a separate group of more than 40 MPs said they were "impossible to support", describing the cuts as the "biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne". One MP told The Mirror many had also written privately to No10 expressing concerns, adding: "There has to be an alternative way".
Last week the Commons Work and Pensions Committee - led by the senior Labour MP Debbie Abrahams - urged the government to delay the reforms. The government has been given until Monday to respond.
But in a recent speech Ms Kendall stood by the reforms saying they will ensure "our welfare state is sustainable for the future".
She added: "The truth is welfare reform is never easy, and it is rarely popular. Perhaps especially for Labour governments. But no responsible Labour government can resile from taking decisions because they are too difficult. Because this is not good enough for the people we came into politics to serve.
"So, we will reform the welfare state. Just as great reforming Labour governments have done in the past."
And she recently told The Mirror: "I understand people's concern and I understand people are anxious. But we are consulting with disabled people and the organisations that represent them on our PIP review, to look at the assessment process. I believe the task of helping people who can work, get work, is urgent."
Labour MP Ian Byrne told The Mirror: 'I will be attending the briefing from Liz Kendall and I hope the Government have listened to the disabled community who are terrified of the planned cuts, charities who have outlined their catastrophic impact and MPs who are relaying this message to to the Government from their constituencies.
'After the Winter Fuel debacle and the damage it's done to the Governments standing, we need desperately to listen to the country and return to the core Labour values of tackling poverty & inequality and I hope this is the case otherwise I and many of my colleagues will vote against these measures as they currently stand.'
Another MP said: 'The PLP has a declining number of true believers.
'She'll be met by a mix of distant silence, lots of searching questions, and a sense of bewilderment.'
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