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The National
10 hours ago
- Business
- The National
See the full list of 108 Labour MP rebels on UK welfare and Pip cuts
Some 108 MPs' signatures appear on a reasoned amendment spelling out why they cannot support the Labour Government's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which would cut back disability benefit payments by around £5 billion per year. READ MORE: Cuts to PIP will plunge families further into poverty, research says If passed – which it could do with support from Westminster's opposition parties – the amendment would block the bill from progressing to its second reading when it returns to the Commons on July 1. The amendment notes that the UK Government's 'own impact assessment estimates that 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of [the bill], including 50,000 children". Of the 108 Labour MPs who have signed the amendment, nine are from Scottish Labour. They are: Patricia Ferguson Tracy Gilbert Scott Arthur Kirsteen Sullivan Richard Baker Euan Stainbank Lilian Jones Elaine Stewart Brian Leishman Scottish Labour's nominal leader Anas Sarwar has supported the UK Government's plans to cut welfare. Leishman, the MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, urged his colleagues to oppose the cuts. He told The Record: "Labour MPs have a choice to make. Do they believe that the most vulnerable people should be looked after, or not? That's what the vote on these welfare reforms ultimately boils down to. This vote will define careers and this Labour Government." There are 29 Scottish Labour MPs who have not signed the amendment, including those in the more right-wing faction the "Labour Growth Group". These include Blair McDougall, Johanna Baxter, Gordon McKee, Zubir Ahmed, and Melanie Ward. Labour committee chairs oppose the UK welfare reforms Ferguson, the MP for Glasgow West, is also chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster. A further nine Labour select committee chairs have also signed the reasoned amendment, underlining the scale of the challenge facing the UK Government. These are: Tan Dhesi Helen Hayes Florence Eshalomi Ruth Cadbury Meg Hillier Ruth Jones Sarah Owen Debbie Abrahams Cat Smith Other senior Labour MPs to have signed the amendment include former transport secretary Louise Haigh. The Times reported that although the list does not include current ministers, as many as a dozen are said to be privately opposing the welfare reforms. All the Labour MPs opposing the UK welfare reforms Here is a full list of all the MPs to have signed the reasoned amendment against the UK Government's welfare changes:
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
A quarter of Scottish Labour MPs join welfare rebellion
A quarter of Scottish Labour MPs have joined a rebellion against UK government's controversial welfare reforms. Nine out of the party's 37 parliamentarians, including the chair of the Scottish affairs committee, have signed an amendment that would potentially allow them to block controversial changes to the benefits are part of a group of more than 100 Labour MPs rebelling against Sir Keir Starmer's government. Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden said ministers were "happy to talk" to MPs with concerns, but defended the bill as "a really important package of benefit reform". The government's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill aims to save £5bn a year by cutting disability and sickness-related includes proposals to make it harder for disabled people with less severe conditions to claim personal independence payments. The bill has been heavily criticised by some Labour MPs, while the Scottish government warned it would be "devastating" for disabled people. A total of 108 Labour MPs have signed an amendment that would give them an opportunity to vote on a proposal to reject the welfare reform bill in its amendment said the reforms are expected to push people into relative poverty and expressed concerns about a lack of consultation and an inadequate impact Scottish signatories include the chair of the Scottish affairs committee, Patricia Ferguson, and Brian Leishman, who has been outspoken critic of the government over benefits reform, cuts to winter fuel payments and the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery in his constituency. Scottish Labour MPs Elaine Stewart, Tracy Gilbert, Scott Arthur, Euan Stainbank, Lillian Jones, Richard Baker and Kirsten Sullivan have also joined the rebellion. The UK government has warned that spending on health and disability benefits is forecast to reach £70bn a year by the end of the decade, describing that outlay as "unsustainable".According to the Labour administration's own impact assessment, its reforms could push an extra 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into relative say that analysis does not consider the government's plans to spend £1bn on helping the long-term sick and disabled back into work, or its efforts to reduce vote on the bill is scheduled to take place next it passes, the government is aiming to introduce the welfare reforms by November 2026. No-one will lose out on benefits payments until that happens. UK government minister Pat McFadden said the number of people on long-term sickness and disability benefits was set to double in the coming years. "That is not something the government thinks it is right to sit back and be relaxed about," he told BBC Breakfast. The government has a working majority of 165 in the Commons, meaning that 83 Labour MPs would need to oppose the bill to force a parliamentary Westminster leader Stephen Flynn called on Labour ministers to withdraw the said: "It's now abundantly clear the prime minister has underestimated the huge scale of opposition to his grotesque Labour Party cuts to disabled people, which by their own estimation will push 250,000 children and disabled families into poverty, and will stain the Labour Party's reputation even worse than their winter fuel payment cuts."
The National
14 hours ago
- Business
- The National
See the full list of Labour MPs rebelling on UK welfare and Pip cuts
Some 108 MPs' signatures appear on a reasoned amendment spelling out why they cannot support the Labour Government's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which would cut back disability benefit payments by around £5 billion per year. READ MORE: Cuts to PIP will plunge families further into poverty, research says If passed – which it could do with support from Westminster's opposition parties – the amendment would block the bill from progressing to its second reading when it returns to the Commons on July 1. The amendment says that the proposed reforms amount to 'dangerous and counterproductive cuts', and further notes that the UK Government's 'own impact assessment estimates that 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of [the bill], including 50,000 children'. Of the 108 Labour MPs who have signed the amendment, nine are from Scottish Labour. They are: Patricia Ferguson Tracy Gilbert Scott Arthur Kirsteen Sullivan Richard Baker Euan Stainbank Lilian Jones Elaine Stewart Brian Leishman Scottish Labour's nominal leader Anas Sarwar has supported the UK Government's plans to cut welfare. Leishman, the MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, urged his colleagues to oppose the cuts. He told The Record: "Labour MPs have a choice to make. Do they believe that the most vulnerable people should be looked after, or not? That's what the vote on these welfare reforms ultimately boils down to. This vote will define careers and this Labour Government." Labour committee chairs oppose the UK welfare reforms Ferguson, the MP for Glasgow West, is also chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster. A further nine Labour select committee chairs have also signed the reasoned amendment, underlining the scale of the challenge facing the UK Government. These are: Tan Dhesi Helen Hayes Florence Eshalomi Ruth Cadbury Meg Hillier Ruth Jones Sarah Owen Debbie Abrahams Cat Smith Other senior Labour MPs to have signed the amendment include former transport secretary Louise Haigh. The Times reported that although the list does not include current ministers, as many as a dozen are said to be privately opposing the welfare reforms. All the Labour MPs opposing the UK welfare reforms Here is a full list of all the MPs to have signed the reasoned amendment against the UK Government's welfare changes:
Daily Record
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Nine Scottish Labour MPs support bid to block UK Government welfare cuts bill
The major rebellion comes amid growing fears about the impact of the changes on disabled people. Nine Scottish Labour MPs are backing calls for the UK Government welfare bill to be blocked over concerns about cuts for disabled people. Over 100 MPs, including Scottish Affairs Select Committee Chair Patricia Ferguson, have joined a revolt that could see the controversial plans defeated. The MPs are unhappy about the Labour Government's plan to cut £5bn from disability and sickness related benefits. The bill would make it harder for disabled people with less severe conditions to claim personal independence payment (Pip), with forecasts predicting the changes will plunge 50,000 children into poverty. The amendment supported by the rebels would give them an opportunity to reject the welfare reform bill. The wording backs the 'need for the reform of the social security system' but criticises the lack of a 'formal consultation' with disabled people and warns of the impact on poverty levels. They also hit out at the Government for not publishing an 'assessment of the impact of these reforms on health or care needs'. The Scottish Labour sceptics are Richard Baker, Scott Arthur, Euan Stainbank, Brian Leishman, Lilian Jones, Tracy Gilbert, Elaine Stewart, Kirsteen Sullivan and Ferguson. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has favoured his party MPs to back the Government's policy agenda since July 4. One Labour source told the Record the rebellion is a sign that the unity between the UK and Scottish parties is becoming frayed. Pip is devolved to Holyrood but cuts to the budget would have a knock-on impact on the Scottish Parliament finances.
STV News
15 hours ago
- Business
- STV News
Scottish Labour MPs join rebellion against Starmer's welfare reforms
Nine Scottish Labour MPs have signed their names to a Commons bid to halt the Government's welfare reforms in their tracks, enough to threaten Sir Keir Starmer's majority. Some 108 MPs' signatures appear on a reasoned amendment declining to give the welfare reform Bill a second reading when it returns to the Commons on July 1. Among them are Scottish Labour MPs Patricia Ferguson, Elaine Stewart, Lilian Jones, Scott Arthur, Euan Stainbank, Brian Leishman, Richard Baker, Kirsteen Sullivan, and Tracy Gilbert. The rebellion, the Prime Minister's largest yet, would be enough to defeat the Government's plans if opposition MPs joined the Labour rebels. The amendment, published on Tuesday's order paper, notes there is a 'need for the reform of the social security system'. But it calls for the Commons to decline to continue scrutinising the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill 'because the Government's own impact assessment estimates that 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of these provisions, including 50,000 children'. There has been no formal consultation with disabled people who will be impacted by the changes, the MPs said. They also point to the fact that an analysis of the impact of the reforms on employment from the Office for Budget Responsibility will not be published until the autumn. Several Labour select committee chairs were among those who put their name to the amendment, including chairwoman of the Treasury committee Dame Meg Hillier, and Debbie Abrahams, chairwoman of the work and pensions select committee. The MPs who signed the amendment 'want the Government to listen and to think again on this Bill', Ms Abrahams said. She added: 'We are being asked to vote for this Bill before disabled people have been consulted, before impact assessments have been conducted and before we have given enough time to some of the Government's key policies – investing in the NHS, to the right to try, and to work coaching – (to) have been able to bed in.' Vicky Foxcroft, the former Government whip who resigned over the welfare plans, has also signed the amendment. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle would need to select the amendment when MPs debate the legislation at its second reading. Under the proposals in the Bill, ministers will limit eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), the main disability payment in England, and limit the sickness-related element of Universal Credit (UC). Ministers have previously said the reforms could save up to £5 billion a year. Amid the growing threat of rebellion, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden warned on Tuesday morning it would be a 'very serious thing' for Labour MPs to effectively vote down the Bill at its first major outing in the Commons. He added: 'You're right to point out that this phrase reasoned amendment isn't just a small tweak. It would stop the legislative process if it succeeded.' Mr McFadden insisted the growing costs of welfare were unsustainable, as a 'city the size of Leicester' was being added to the population on benefits each year. 'I don't think as the party of labour, the party of work, we can sit back and be relaxed about so many people going on to long-term sickness and disability benefits,' he added. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall spent Monday night speaking to backbench MPs about the reforms at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). Those leaving the meeting insisted there was broad consensus in the room, with only few MPs standing up to make their opposition known. The Work and Pensions Secretary told the PLP that the plans are 'rooted in fairness'. She argued they are about ensuring the survival of the welfare state so there is always a safety net for those in need of it. Ms Kendall added: 'Above all, they are about our belief that everyone can fulfil their potential and live their hopes and dreams when, collectively, we provide them with real opportunities and support. 'This is the better future we seek to build for our constituents and our country.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
