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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
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.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PLP AND LIGHTERA ANNOUNCE GROUNDBREAKING COMPATIBILITY PROGRAM FOR FTTX CLOSURES AND ROLLABLE RIBBON CABLE
CLEVELAND, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PLP, a global leader in broadband connectivity solutions, and Lightera, a global innovator in optical fiber technology, today announced a new compatibility program that pairs PLP's drop closures with Lightera's rollable ribbon fiber optic cable, streamlining design and deployment strategies for FTTx networks. This new collaboration provides a groundbreaking approach to fiber network design by enabling fiber-dense cables (144-288 fibers) to be deployed using compact closures in small handholes, significantly reducing labor requirements, material costs, and installation space needed for last-mile deployments. "Rollable ribbon cable technology was initially developed for high-density applications like data centers," said Mark Boxer, Technical Manager, Solutions and Applications Engineering at Lightera. This collaboration takes that same high-efficiency design and applies it to FTTx networks, unlocking new potential for compact, cost-conscious fiber installations." The compatibility program combines PLP's COYOTE® STP Pro Series (XL and L) and COYOTE® DTC closures with Lightera's DuctSaver® and AccuRoll® rollable ribbon cables. When used with smaller handholes, the combination of PLP's closures and Lightera's cables offers a highly scalable and cost-effective alternative to traditional loose tube or flat ribbon deployments that require larger dome-style closures and handholes. Taking this approach can result in a 30% cost reduction for the distribution portion of the network versus more traditional methods. "As the demand for fiber continues to grow, network designers need smarter, more flexible deployment options," said Matt Becker, Director of North America Communications Markets at PLP. "This program gives our customers a new level of design agility, delivering high fiber counts in smaller, more efficient packages that reduce overall build costs without compromising performance." PLP and Lightera will showcase the combined solution at Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville, June 1-4. For more information, visit and ABOUT PLP PLP protects the world's most critical connections by creating stronger and more reliable networks. The company's precision-engineered solutions are trusted by energy and communications providers worldwide to perform better and last longer. With locations in over 20 countries, PLP works as a united global corporation, delivering high-quality products and unparalleled service to customers around the world. ABOUT LIGHTERA Lightera is a global leader in optical fiber and connectivity solutions, delivering innovative technologies that drive communication networks, data centers, and specialty photonics applications. With a deep legacy of expertise in optical science, we provide high-performance solutions that enable faster, more reliable, and more sustainable connections for businesses, communities, and industries worldwide. Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, U.S.A., Lightera operates with a global footprint, serving customers across telecommunications, enterprise, industrial, generative AI, data centers, 5G/6G, utilities, medical, aerospace, defense, and sensing markets. Lightera is part of Furukawa Electric Group, a multi-billion-dollar leader in optical communications. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Preformed Line Products Company Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Reeves faces anger from her local party over plans to cut disability benefits
Rachel Reeves' local Labour party will call for the chancellor to abandon her plans to cut disability benefits as rebellion among MPs over the policy grows. The Leeds West and Pudsey constituency Labour party (CLP), which campaigned to return Reeves to parliament last year as its MP, has agreed to write to her 'as soon as possible' to make clear it does not support the cuts. The Guardian has been told by a Labour source that the motion – at a meeting on Zoom on Thursday night – passed unanimously, with 30 delegates voting for and zero voting against or abstaining. An earlier vote at a meeting of the CLP in April at the Villagers Community Club in Bramley in Leeds – which Reeves attended in person but left before the issue was discussed – reportedly had to be abandoned because there were not enough members present to vote on the motion. One source said: 'It says something about the morale of the party that the original meeting didn't even have enough people there to pass the vote. One would expect Labour members to be excited at the opportunity to meet with the chancellor less than a year into a Labour government.' The government's plans, set out in a green paper earlier this year, would reduce the eligibility criteria for personal independence payments (Pip), the main disability benefit in England. Restricting Pip would cut benefits for about 800,000 people, while the sickness-related element of universal credit is also set to be cut. Opposition on Reeves's home patch comes as the government faces a rebellion from its backbenchers over the plans. About 100 Labour MPs, more than a quarter of the party's parliamentary numbers, are reported to have signed a letter urging ministers to scale back the benefit cuts, according to media reports. Some MPs have expressed resentment at how the leadership is said to be handling opposition to the changes. One newly elected MP said: 'There hasn't been any real attempt at engagement. It's been left to backbenchers to hustle for a meeting. They almost see it as a virility test. It's not helpful politics.' Relations have been further strained after a highly critical letter published in the Guardian last week – in which 42 MPs told the prime minister that planned disability cuts would be 'impossible to support' – did not get a response from Keir Starmer's office. The MP added: 'You'd think the leadership would say: 'I'm a bit pissed you went to the papers but let's talk about what you said.' No one has made any overtures.' There is understood to be unrest among newly elected MPs who feel they are being expected to defend policies they were not elected for while not being allowed any input. One MP said: 'Unless the government comes up with the idea, it doesn't count. It's a case of the new intake thinking: 'I haven't realised I'm irrelevant.'' Another senior backbencher said: 'I strongly think No 10 see the PLP as a problem to be dealt with. The advisers around Keir think the PLP is an inconvenience of government.' The government said the proposals could recover £5bn a year from the welfare budget by the end of the decade. When asked last week what her message to concerned Labour backbenchers was, Reeves said: 'I don't think anybody, including Labour MPs and members, think that the current welfare system created by the Conservative party is working today. They know that the system needs reform. We do need to reform how the welfare system works if we're going to grow our economy.' • This article was amended on 22 May 2025. The April meeting of the CLP was not abandoned fully, as an earlier version said; rather, the motion had to be stopped because the meeting was inquorate. This has been clarified.
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Collector unveils Rs 4,215 cr credit plan
Parvatipuram: Collector A Shyam Prasad has released the Potential Linked Credit Plan (PLP) 2025–26 for Parvathipuram Manyam district, with an outlay of Rs 4,215.30 crore. The PLP 2025–26, prepared by NABARD, was launched during a District Industrial Promotion Committee meeting held at the Collectorate on Monday. The plan outlines the district's credit potential and strategies for inclusive rural development. It aims to enhance credit flow to priority sectors, bridge infrastructure gaps, and promote climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural practices. Agriculture is the predominant activity in the district, with two-thirds of the workforce engaged in farming. About 79% of the farmers are marginal, and the average landholding is 0.75 hectares. Major crops in the district include Paddy (0.75 lakh ha), Maize (0.11 lakh ha), and Cotton (0.10 lakh ha). Of the total credit potential of Rs 4,215.30 crore, Rs 3,316.04 crore is allocated to agriculture, including infrastructure and allied activities. MSMEs have been allocated Rs 386.69 crore, and the housing sector Rs 221.40 crore. NABARD District Development Officer Dinesh Kumar Reddy stated that under the 2023–24 action plan, the district achieved a Credit-Deposit Ratio of 168%. Over 3.2 lakh PMJDY accounts were opened, and non-performing assets were brought down to 1.6%. District Revenue Officer K. Hemalata, DPO T. Kondala Rao, District Industries Officer Karunakar, and Lead Bank Manager Vijaya Swarup attended the meeting.
New Statesman
19-05-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
Starmer faces his unhappy backbenchers
Photo by Henry Nicholls -Monday's meeting could have gone very differently for Keir Starmer. The Prime Minister, flanked by the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, was met with rapturous applause as he entered the stuffy committee room where more than 200 Labour MPs awaited him. This rousing welcome is pretty standard for a prime minister (particularly for one only nine months into the job). Privately, however, the party's backbenches are, as one MP put it to me 'almost universally pissed off'. The Prime Minister had spent much of the day parading the UK's new EU-reset deal, but he used his speech to the PLP to take aim at Reform. He told gathered MPs: 'the Conservatives are not our principal opponent. Reform are our main rivals for power.' It makes sense in the wake of the local elections, in which Reform won control of 10 councils. If a general election were held today, the renegade party would likely take a sizeable chunk out of Labour's numbers. Starmer described Nigel Farageas a 'state-slashing, NHS-privatising, Putin apologist, without a single patriotic bone in his body.' According to insiders, however, Starmer's rallying cry did not have the galvanising effect he might have hoped for. One MP told me that compared to July last year – in which members of the 2024 intake were 'brimming with enthusiasm' – the mood is 'very subdued'. Among the primary concerns are recent government announcements on welfare cuts and Starmer's 'island of strangers' immigration speech last week. Last year's Winter Fuel Payment cut, an issue which featured heavily on the doorstep during the locals, continues to haunt Starmer's administration too. During the meeting, the Prime Minister took 26 questions, of which I am told he answered three. One Lancashire MP pointed out that the party is on its knees in the county after the locals (Reform now control Lancashire County Council). There is little they can do to coax voters back from Reform, and so asked why the party doesn't stick to its traditional values anyway. Diane Abbott used the meeting to take direct aim at Starmer's immigration white paper in a speech which one MP described as a 'scolding' (although another tells me privately that she went on for too long and eventually lost the room). Many MPs used their questions to ask Starmer directly – what do you stand for? Though criticism from the left of the party following last week's speech was inevitable (particularly those elected pre-2024), it is becoming increasingly clear that even newbie Starmer loyalists are feeling disaffected (a few tell me they didn't even go to Monday's meeting). It is a surprise, then, that this gathering of the PLP was not a more fractious affair. But unless something is done to mend the fractures, Starmer's party will only grow unhappier. [See more: Labour's Europe deal is a trap for Brexiteers] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
