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New Statesman
23-05-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
Ian Byrne: 'Hunger is a political choice'
Photo byShortly after Labour's landslide victory at the general election in July 2024, the party removed the whip from seven of its MPs. All seven had voted for an amendment to the King's Speech tabled by the SNP, which would have removed the two-child benefit cap. Among the seven was Ian Byrne, the 52-year-old MP for Liverpool West Derby, a former trade union organiser and previously the office manager for fellow Liverpool Labour MP, Dan Carden. Byrne was first elected to parliament in 2019 and was re-elected in 2024 (although with a decreased majority). In August, he had the whip reinstated alongside four others in the group, including fellow Corbyn-aligned leftwingers Richard Burgon and Rebecca Long-Bailey. When I met Byrne at his parliamentary offices on a bright morning in March, he calmly reiterated his opposition to the two-child cap: 'We won't solve the issue of child poverty without removing it.' For Byrne, tackling child poverty has become a driving mission, so he felt he couldn't turn his back on it that day in the Commons chamber. This mission has deep roots. Before he was elected to parliament, Byrne was employed by Unite, helping organise sub-contracted NHS workers for better pay and conditions. One morning, he and his colleague, Dave Kelly, visited a community centre 'a stone's throw away from Anfield', near to where Byrne (a lifelong Liverpool fan) was living. On his way into the community centre, Byrne saw a group of people in a queue. 'I didn't know what they were queuing up for,' he told me, 'I realised it was for a food bank.' When Byrne looked closer, he saw that there were people he knew in the queue. Though the charity was run on generous donations from locals, the community was struggling. This is reflected in the data. Liverpool is the third most deprived local authority area in England: 63 per cent of its residents live in places that are ranked among the most deprived in England. Three in ten children in the city live in poverty. After seeing people he knew in the queue to access provisions at the food bank, Byrne couldn't sleep that night. 'I felt ashamed of myself that I didn't realise the extent of what we were actually seeing,' he said. The scale of this emergency is stark; and it is growing. According to data from the Department for Work and Pensions, in 2022-23, 2.3 million people lived in a household that had used a food bank in the past 12 months. Between 2017-18 and 2023-24, the number of emergency food parcels handed out by the Trussell Trust more than doubled, from 1.4 million to 3.1 million. A night of tossing and turning moulded an idea, and the next morning, Byrne immediately got in touch with Kelly (an Everton supporter) to start moving. 'I got in touch with Dave and said, maybe we utilise the power of the supporters – we're so close to Anfield and Goodison [Park],' Byrne told me. His plan was to harness the support of the 60,000 Liverpool and 40,000 Everton supporters who descend on the same L4 postcode to watch the two teams play. Their plan was to ask supporters to contribute food or other supplies that would then be redistributed across the city. As fans of the game will know, to have founded a charity that brings together these two ultra-rivals (Liverpool and Everton) is no mean feat. At the teams' next matches, Byrne and Kelly rocked up outside each stadium with wheelie bins, into which fans were encouraged to donate items of food and other essentials. And so, Fans Supporting Foodbanks was born. 'We haven't missed a match at Liverpool and Everton since 2015,' Byrne told me. The initiative has proliferated in the decade since its conception. The team have upgraded from their humble wheelie-bin beginnings and now station trucks outside Anfield and Goodison Park, and are there 'three hours before kick-off at every game, asking fans to contribute through donations of food', Byrne said. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Those donations support the eight food pantries that are run by Fans Supporting Foodbanks across Liverpool, which the charity has set up to look like farmer's markets. Byrne explained that this is to free them from stigma. 'Food banks are appalling places,' he said. 'The services the volunteers give are magnificent. But it was just so demeaning for the people accessing them. You could see they were defeated before they went in.' By putting more thought into what the food banks could be, or offer to the local community, their influence grew. 'A lot of people go now for the camaraderie as well as the food. It's a place where they feel comfortable, and they feel welcomed. I think that's really important,' Byrne said. Byrne was born in 1972 in Liverpool and grew up on the Stockbridge Village Estate in Knowsley, then known as Cantril Farm. In the 1980s, the estate became synonymous with deprivation and unemployment (the rate was almost 50 per cent for men and 80 per cent for young people after the north-west was particularly hard hit by deindustrialisation). In 1989, when he was 16, Byrne was present at the Hillsborough disaster, the fatal crowd crush which caused the deaths of 97 people. In the following weeks, the police passed false stories to the press that suggested that the incident had been caused by football hooligans and drunkenness among Liverpool FC supporters. Byrne's father was injured in the crush. 'Being at Hillsborough and witnessing the injustice, I think that's why I'm here today,' Byrne said. 'I think that's why I went into the trade union movement and why I got into community activism.' He added: 'You're seeing injustice everywhere and you think, well, what can I do to assist and make change for the better?' With the arrival of a Labour government, Byrne sees an opportunity to resolve this crisis. 'We've got an unbelievable mandate to tackle the issues and that is, for me, what the Labour party was set up to do.' Instituting a Right to Food is top of his requests, as is removing the two-child benefit cap. But he is adamant there cannot be a return to austerity. 'I look at how my city and constituency have been decimated after 15 years of austerity. People can't take it any more. There's nothing more to give.' Indeed, Byrne is worried that if people do not see a tangible improvement in their living standards, Labour risks opening the door to something else coming down the line – namely, Reform. 'People will think, well, I've given the Tories a chance. They've done nothing for me. The Labour Party, we've given them a chance. If they've done nothing for five years, they could quite easily turn to someone like Nigel Farage,' Byrne told me. 'He's got no idea how people live in my community. Nor does he care. But people will go down that path,' he warned. How can Labour stop that from happening? 'There's got to be ambition,' Byrne said. 'Hunger is a political choice, and it's only when you get into this place that you understand how easy it is for the levers of power to actually make decisions like that,' he added. 'It should encompass all wings of every party: it should be tackled with ferocity'. This article first appeared in our Spotlight on Child Poverty supplement, of 23 May 2025, guest edited by Gordon Brown. Related
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Zoe's Place concert 'a thank you to Liverpool'
A special concert to thank those who helped raise £7.4m to save a baby hospice from closure has been future of Zoe's Place in Liverpool was under threat last October when it was revealed the hospice would need to raise £5m within 30 days to fund a new premises.A high-profile campaign secured the money needed within weeks and Labour MP Ian Byrne, who spearheaded the fundraising drive, said the special event was "a thank you to the city".Merseyside musicians including Jamie Webster, Ian McCulloch, Rebecca Ferguson, The Zutons, Lightning Seeds, The Real Thing, and the Sense of Sound Singers will come together for "A Celebration of Zoe's Place" at the M&S Bank Arena in July. Mr Byrne said the show would be an "absolutely unmissable, unforgettable night" which would also see the unveiling of a new name and branding for the hospice."It was an unbelievably special achievement what Liverpool did for Zoe's Place," he said."The way people in the city pulled together mean's the hospice can continue to bring solace, assistance and help to this city for generations to come."It is going to be a night to be extremely proud of Liverpool the city," he said the event would be "a celebration of community, compassion, and resilience - the very spirit Liverpool is built on".It will take place on 17 July and will be hosted by comedian Adam Rowe and former Radio City presenter Leanne Campbell, and will feature the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as the evening's live hospice has cared for babies and children with complex needs and illnesses in the city since 1995. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour welfare revolt mounts with '80 MPs' demanding U-turn on cuts - enough to threaten Keir Starmer's huge majority
Sir Keir Starmer is facing a deepening row over disability benefit cuts with almost a quarter of Labour MPs suggesting they will not back the policy when it is put to the vote. More than 80 backbenchers are said to have put their names to a private letter to No10 saying raising concerns about the plan to save £7billion by tightening the rules about going on the sick. They are said to be unhappy about the fact that the full impact of the cuts will not be revealed until after the vote in June. It comes after more than 40 MPs from the party's left said they would not vote for the change because of the impact on those already struggling to make ends meet. It is not clear if there is any overlap between the two groups, but if there is not, it means potentially more than a quarter of Sir Keir's 403 MPs. The Government currently has a working majority of 165, but it is not clear how many MPs would vote against the move to tighten eligibility for the personal independence payment, known as Pip. Earlier this week, Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne said he would 'swim through vomit to vote against' proposed welfare changes. He was joined in criticising the policy by his Labour colleagues Richard Burgon, Rachael Maskell, Andy McDonald, Cat Eccles, Nadia Whittome, Imran Hussain and Ian Lavery, who each said they were among the MPs who would vote against the Government's proposals. But a government source told the Times they were confident that numbers would be low, adding that 'ultimately people are scared and don't want to lose the whip' after seven backbenchers were suspended last year for voting to abandon the two-child benefit cap. In its Pathways to Work Green Paper, the Government has proposed a clampdown on Pip. A claimant must score a minimum of four points on one Pip daily living activity, such as preparing food, washing and bathing, using the toilet or reading, to receive the daily living element of the benefit. According to the document, 'this means that people who only score the lowest points on each of the Pip daily living activities will lose their entitlement in future'. Fourteen MPs who entered the Commons just last year are among the 42 signatories of the open letter demanding a U-turn. They warn that the plan would affect three million 'of our poorest and most disadvantaged'. However it comes at a time when Sir Keir is facing demands to get the economy going to see off the threat of Reform, which is leading most opinion polls. The Labour Growth Group, an influential caucus of moderate new MPs, has sounded the alarm that Nigel Farage will become PM unless the UK gets out of an 'economic doom loop'. Amid evidence of deepening rifts on the government benches, Labour MPs have been warned they face the 'fight of our lives' against Mr Farage in the wake of difficult local election results. Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden appealed for the party to pull together in 'a battle for the very future and the heart and soul of our country' earlier this week. But in a letter published by the Guardian, the anti-cuts MPs, who include Diane Abbott and Stella Creasy, said: 'Whilst the government may have correctly diagnosed the problem of a broken benefits system and a lack of job opportunities for those who are able to work, they have come up with the wrong medicine.
Western Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Health
- Western Telegraph
Starmer faces backbench rebellion over Pip benefit squeeze, Labour MPs indicate
One of the party's MPs Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby) said he would 'swim through vomit to vote against' proposed welfare changes. He was joined in criticising the policy by his Labour colleagues Richard Burgon (Leeds East), Rachael Maskell (York Central), Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East), Cat Eccles (Stourbridge), Nadia Whittome (Nottingham East), Imran Hussain (Bradford East) and Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington), who each said they were among the MPs who would vote against the Government's proposals. If the Government's going to recoup costs from somewhere, they should cast their gaze away from some of the most vulnerable in our society and instead look at those with the broadest shoulders Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP In its Pathways to Work Green Paper, the Government has proposed tightening the eligibility requirements for the personal independence payment, known as Pip. A claimant must score a minimum of four points on one Pip daily living activity, such as preparing food, washing and bathing, using the toilet or reading, to receive the daily living element of the benefit. According to the document, 'this means that people who only score the lowest points on each of the Pip daily living activities will lose their entitlement in future'. Speaking in Westminster Hall, Labour's Bell Ribeiro-Addy said: 'My biggest fear overall is that we may ultimately count the cost of these cuts in lost lives. 'Lest we forget that study that attributed 330,000 excess deaths in Britain between 2012 and 2019 to the last round of austerity cuts. 'There's no denying that the number of people who are claiming sickness and disability benefits are rising, but we can't ignore the fact that increasing claimants are linked to an ageing population and a decade of underinvestment in our health services. 'If the Government's going to recoup costs from somewhere, they should cast their gaze away from some of the most vulnerable in our society and instead look at those with the broadest shoulders.' The MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill told MPs that the move will 'not win the Government any favours with the electorate'. Last week, we saw the people's judgment of unpopular, unnecessary and immoral cuts Ian Byrne, Labour MP Quoting former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who sits as the independent MP for Hayes and Harlington, Mr Byrne said: ''I will swim through vomit to vote against' them. 'I cannot express to the minister (Sir Stephen Timms) the scale of the devastation this will have on disabled people in my constituency and indeed the country.' Mr Byrne later continued: 'This is not what the Labour Party was formed to do. 'So I conclude with this appeal to the minister, we were elected last summer on a promise of 'change'. These cruel cuts are not the change people voted for. 'Last week, we saw the people's judgment of unpopular, unnecessary and immoral cuts.' Mother of the House Diane Abbott, the Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington who tabled Wednesday's debate, accused the Government of putting forward 'contradictory arguments'. She said: 'On the one hand, they insist they are helping the disabled by putting them back to work. 'But on the other hand, they say this cut will save £9 billion. In the short run, putting disabled people into jobs will not save money, it will actually cost more Diane Abbott, Labour MP 'Well, you can't do both. 'Putting disabled people into rewarding, sustained employment – which we would all support – means spending money, money on training, therapy, childcare. 'In the short run, putting disabled people into jobs will not save money, it will actually cost more. 'The only certain way that cutting Pip saves the billions of pounds that the Government wants is by making Pip recipients live on less, and this is something ministers claim that they do not want to do.' But David Pinto-Duschinsky, the Labour MP for Hendon, said MPs cannot 'ignore this issue' of health-related benefit claimant figures rising at, on some metrics, 'twice the rate of underlying health conditions'. He suggested a wealth tax is a 'speculative' solution, and said: 'Exactly because the system is so essential, we must also safeguard its future.' Responding to the debate, social security minister Sir Stephen said: 'Claims to Pip are set to more than double, from two million to over 4.3 million this decade, partly accounted for by a 17% increase in disability prevalence, that's been mentioned, but the increase in benefit caseload is much, much higher. 'And it would certainly not be in the interests of people currently claiming the benefits for the Government to bury its head in the sand over that rate of increase. We want a more proactive, pro-work system that supports people better and supports the economy as well Sir Stephen Timms, social security minister 'So following the Green Paper, we're consulting on how best to support those affected by the eligibility changes, we're looking to improve the Pip assessment – as has been mentioned, I'm going to lead a review of that – but the current system produces poor employment outcomes, high economic inactivity, low living standards, high costs to the taxpayer. 'It needs to change. 'We want a more proactive, pro-work system that supports people better and supports the economy as well.'
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Liverpool fans criticise 'half apology' over Champions League chaos
Liverpool fans criticise 2022 final 'half apology' 14 minutes ago Share Save Sarah Spina-Matthews & Marc Gaier BBC News, Liverpool Share Save Reuters Liverpool fans were initially blamed for chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France Liverpool fans who were wrongly blamed for chaotic scenes before the 2022 Champions League Final in Paris have said an apology by France's former interior minister was "not meaningful". Supporters were penned in and sprayed with tear gas by police as they tried to enter at the Stade de France before the final on 28 May against Real Madrid. On Monday, Gérald Darmanin said security arrangements for the game were wrong, and admitted previous remarks where he blamed Liverpool fans for the disorder "were a mistake". But Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby Ian Byrne, who was in a crush that developed outside the stadium, said Darmanin's initial comments "were absolutely disgraceful". Byrne said: "He was fed a load of lies from the police and the services at the stadium and he swallowed that whole without listening to the other side and actually looking the night's events. "I think it was unforgiveable what he did." PA Media Police used pepper spray and tear gas on fans outside the stadium French authorities, including Darmanin, had initially said the dangerous crush at the stadium was largely caused by Liverpool fans who had fake tickets. An independent report commissioned by UEFA found there was no evidence of the "reprehensible claims" and found the European football body bore primary responsibility for the chaos. In an interview on the Legend YouTube channel, Darmanin, now France's justice minister, said he had been "led astray by my preconceptions" He said Liverpool fans were "quite right to be hurt" and said much of the disorder had been caused by some local people ambushing and robbing fans as they tried to get into the stadium. 'Half apology' Vic Huglin, who has followed the club for over 70 years and went to the final, said he was "surprised" the apology had taken so long. "This could have seriously been a matter of life and death," he said. "It could have been another Hillsborough." Mr Huglin said 10 members of his family who had travelled to Paris for the game, including his young grandson, did not go inside the stadium because they were "petrified". He said fans were refunded for their tickets, but should have been further compensated for travel expenses and emotional distress. He said: "Anybody can say sorry, but my son [who didn't go inside] incurred huge amounts of expenses and all he got was the compensation for the ticket." Byrne said the French politician's apology was "not meaningful". "His mealy-mouthed half apology will be noted by Liverpool fans, but I don't think there'll be any congratulations," he added.
