Rachel Reeves warns welfare rebels they could devastate government
Rachel Reeves has warned Labour MPs they will devastate the government if they vote against plans to cut Britain's £80 billion sickness benefits bill, amid a last ditch effort to salvage the reforms.
In an attempt to see off a rebellion by more than a hundred Labour backbenchers, the chancellor told MPs in a series of calls defeat would damage Sir Keir Starmer's authority to such an extent that it had effectively become a confidence vote in the government.
Privately, some around the prime minister are preparing to delay next Tuesday's vote in an attempt to buy time and find concessions to win enough of the rebels around. One minister described the mood in government as one of 'panic'.
The renewed lobbying effort came after 108 Labour MPs, including ten select committee chairs, signed an amendment on Monday that would effectively kill off the government's plans. There were claims the number of signatories to the amendment had increased to around 130 and up to a dozen junior ministers were said to be prepared to resign to vote in favour of the plan. 'We need to see movement,' said one rebel.
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Sky News
31 minutes ago
- Sky News
More Britons than ever struggling to make ends meet, report warns
More people than ever are struggling to live on their current income - while just a third say they are living comfortably, according to new research. Rising prices and sluggish pay increases have put many people's finances under strain in recent years. A record 26% now say making ends meet is difficult. Before the pandemic, it was 16%. 2:32 Two-thirds also say their incomes haven't kept up with inflation, according to the British Social Attitudes report. That's only marginally better than the 70% recorded during the height of the cost of living crisis in 2023. Frozen tax thresholds also appear to be hitting home, with 61% saying taxes on low earners are too high, while 44% believe middle income earners also pay too much. Those figures are up nine points and 13 points respectively since 2016. However, when it comes to the highest earners, 44% believe their taxes are too low. 2:01 The report also asked people about the welfare system - a timely insight with Labour MPs currently rebelling over plans to save £5bn from the budget. It found support for more spending on disability benefits is at a record low of 45%, down from 67% in 2017 - but only 11% think spending should be reduced. About 29% of those polled think it's "too easy" for people to get disability benefits - but the same percentage also feel it's "too difficult". Meanwhile, long waiting times appear to have played a part in the finding that a record 59% are now dissatisfied with the NHS. In 2019, it was just 25%. Only 21% said they were satisfied with the health service. 3:50 The report is based on a representative, random sample of more than 4,000 people in the UK and was produced by the National Centre for Social Research. It's the longest-running measure of public opinion in Britain, having started in 1983. Professor Sir John Curtice, senior research fellow, said: "The public are well aware of Britain's problems - not least those of a failing health service and an economy in which many are struggling to make ends meet. "Yet rather than turning their back on the state, for the most part, the public are still inclined to look to government to provide solutions." 1:05 Defence was also a key theme of the report - and researchers found about 40% of Britons support spending more money on weapons and troops. A fifth (20%) said they would like to see a reduction. It comes as the government revealed it was buying at least 12 stealth jets that can carry nuclear weapons, and as NATO countries, including the UK, promise to increase defence spending. The National Security Strategy also said the UK must prepare for the potential of a "wartime scenario" in the "UK homeland" for the first time in many years. Almost everyone surveyed (90%) considered Russia a serious threat to world peace, followed by Iran (78%), North Korea (77%), Israel (73%), and China (69%). The percentage supporting more defence spending remains relatively unchanged since 2016, before Russia invaded Ukraine. However, the share supporting an increase is significantly higher now than that in 2006 (28%) and in the 1990s (17%).
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Heat pumps and EVs making progress, UK climate advisers say
More people are buying electric cars and installing heat pumps than ever before, but those numbers need to increase even further, according to the government's climate independent Climate Change Committee said that the government needed to make sure that households benefit from the switch to cleaner technologies through lower bills."The government has made progress on a number of fronts, including on clean power, [but] they need to do more on making electricity cheap," Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of the CCC, told BBC response Energy Secretary Ed Miliband thanked the committee for its advice and said it was committed to bringing down bills. By law, the UK must stop adding to the total amount of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2050. This is known as "net zero".Reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions globally is widely seen as essential to limit further warming. Previous political consensus around the UK's target has broken down, however, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branding it "impossible" and Reform using the phrase "net stupid zero". But the committee argues it is achievable and could lead to long-term economic benefits. "[The UK] can absolutely meet net zero by 2050," said Ms gas emissions within the UK's borders have already fallen by more than half since that's mostly because polluting fossil fuels – particularly coal – have been increasingly replaced with renewable energy like wind and solar for electricity generation. The UK's biggest emitters last year were transport and buildings, which will also need to get cleaner to help reach net CCC sees signs of progress, including a near doubling of the number of electric cars on UK roads in the past two years. Nearly one-in-five new cars sold in 2024 was has helped to reduce emissions from transport – not counting planes and ships – for the second year in a row, even though traffic levels rose last new electric cars remain more expensive to buy than their petrol equivalents, the CCC expects them to cost the same in a couple of second-hand models are already as cheap, and electric cars can be more economical to run too."We see these transitions happen surprisingly fast once they get going, usually starting slowly and accelerating rapidly, where falling prices and rising demand reinforce each other," said Dr Emily Nurse, the CCC's head of net zero."When that's combined with effective policy, it really can lead to this rapid change." Heat pump progress but a long way to go Sales of electric heat pumps are growing quickly too, up by more than half last year, thanks partly to grants introduced under the Conservatives, the CCC said. But they still remain well below committee also praised the new government's relaxation of planning rules, which it says should encourage more people to install heat even after grants, they can be expensive to install and while they are much more efficient than a gas boiler, they are not necessarily cheaper to because the cost of electricity is so high, something the CCC has repeatedly said needs tackling. Make electricity cheaper The single largest reason for the rise in household electricity prices in recent years is the increase in wholesale costs, driven by international gas prices, the CCC says."The only way to get bills down for good is by becoming a clean energy superpower and we continue to work tirelessly to deliver clean power for families and businesses," argued Energy Secretary Ed the committee adds that electricity bills are artificially high because charges are added to them to support largely older renewable energy projects – which were more expensive – as well as energy efficiency Monday the government announced plans to remove these costs for some them from household electricity bills too would be a quick fix to the UK's high prices, making it much cheaper to run an electric car or heat pump, the committee these costs would have to go somewhere, potentially onto general would take "about £200 off the average [household] bill but at a cost of about £6bn per year to the Exchequer," said Adam Bell, director of policy at Stonehaven Consultancy and former head of energy strategy at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Additional reporting by Jonah Fisher and Miho Tanaka Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
PM to announce ‘biggest strengthening of UK nuclear posture in a generation'
Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce a strengthening of the UK's nuclear deterrent at this week's Nato summit with the purchase of 12 new fighter jets. Billed by Downing Street as 'the biggest strengthening of the UK's nuclear posture in a generation', the move will see the UK purchase 12 F35A jets and join Nato's airborne nuclear mission. The jets, a variant of the F35Bs the UK already uses, can carry conventional weapons, but can also be equipped with nuclear bombs. Sir Keir said: 'In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my government is investing in our national security, ensuring our armed forces have the equipment they need and communities up and down the country reap the benefits from our defence dividend.' The decision represents a victory for the Royal Air Force, which has long pushed for a return of its nuclear capabilities since the last British air-dropped nuclear weapon was withdrawn from service after the end of the Cold War. Since then, the UK's nuclear deterrent has been carried exclusively by the Royal Navy's submarines, which the Government has also promised to invest in renewing with four new vessels. Sir Keir added: 'Supporting 100 businesses across the country and more than 20,000 jobs, these F35 dual capable aircraft will herald a new era for our world-leading Royal Air Force and deter hostile threats that threaten the UK and our Allies.' Defence Secretary John Healey said the decision followed a strategic defence review that 'confirmed we face new nuclear risks, with other states increasing, modernising and diversifying their nuclear arsenals'. The review, published earlier this month, recommended beginning discussions with the US and Nato on 'enhanced UK participation' in the alliance's nuclear mission, and raised the possibility of acquiring F35As. Nato's nuclear mission involves allied aircraft being equipped with American B61 bombs stockpiled in Europe. Seven nations currently contribute so-called 'dual capability aircraft' to Nato's nuclear mission, but a the use of nuclear weapons would require the authorisation of the alliance's nuclear planning group as well as the US president and British prime minister. The alliance's secretary-general Mark Rutte welcomed the announcement, saying it was 'yet another robust British contribution to Nato'. Alongside the nuclear announcement, the UK is set to provide 350 air defence missiles to Ukraine as Sir Keir and Mr Healey push for Nato to provide Kyiv with further support. The delivery will be funded by £70 million raised from the interest on seized Russian assets. Sir Keir said: 'Russia, not Ukraine, should pay the price for Putin's barbaric and illegal war, so it is only right we use the proceeds from seized Russian assets to ensure Ukraine has the air defence it needs.' Wednesday is also expected to see Nato allies formally sign up to a target of spending 5% of the GDP on defence and security. The figure includes 3.5% on 'core' defence spending, with another 1.5% being spent on wider security and resilience measures such as critical infrastructure, border security and intelligence.
