Latest news with #RichardBurgon
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Labour MPs call for benefit cuts to be scrapped after winter fuel payment U-turn
Labour backbenchers are urging the Government to reconsider planned disability benefit cuts following the restoration of winter fuel payments to the majority of pensioners by Rachel Reeves. The chancellor's £1.25 billion initiative, revealed on Monday, will provide automatic payments of up to £300 to pensioners with an income below £35,000 annually. This decision reverses last year's removal of the universal scheme for pensioners, which was reinstated for those claiming specific benefits like pension credit. Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, cautioned ministers against repeating a "similar mistake" by tightening eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, implored pensions minister Torsten Bell to heed the concerns of backbenchers, offering their assistance to help the Government 'get it right.' In her warning, Ms Whittome said she was not asking Mr Bell 'to keep the status quo or not to support people into work' and added: 'I'm simply asking him not to cut disabled people's benefits.' The pensions minister, who works in both the Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions, replied that the numbers of people receiving PIP is set to 'continue to grow every single year in the years ahead, after the changes set out by this Government'. In its Pathways to Work green paper, the Government proposed a new eligibility requirement, so PIP claimants must score a minimum of four points on one daily living activity, such as preparing food, washing and bathing, using the toilet or reading, to receive the daily living element of the benefit. 'This means that people who only score the lowest points on each of the PIP daily living activities will lose their entitlement in future,' the document noted. Mr Burgon told the Commons: 'As a Labour MP who voted against the winter fuel payment cuts, I very much welcome this change in position, but can I urge the minister and the Government to learn the lessons of this and one of the lessons is, listen to backbenchers? 'If the minister and the Government listen to backbenchers, that can help the Government get it right, help the Government avoid getting it wrong, and so what we don't want is to be here in a year or two's time with a minister sent to the despatch box after not listening to backbenchers on disability benefit cuts, making another U-turn again.' Mr Bell replied that it was 'important to listen to backbenchers, to frontbenchers'. Opposition MPs cheered when the minister added: 'It's even important to listen to members opposite on occasion.' Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin warned that 'judging by the questions from his own backbenchers, it seems that we're going to have further U-turns on PIP and on the two-child benefit cap'. The Tunbridge Wells MP asked Mr Bell: 'To save his colleagues anguish, will he let us know now when those U-turns are coming?' The minister replied: 'What Labour MPs want to see is a Labour Government bringing down child poverty, and that's what we're going to do 'What Labour MPs want to see is a Government that can take the responsible decisions, including difficult ones on tax and on means testing the winter fuel payment so that we can invest in public services and turn around the disgrace that has become Britain's public realm for far too long.' Conservative former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey had earlier asked whether the Chancellor, 'now that she and the Government have got a taste for climbdowns', would 'reverse the equally ridiculous national insurance contribution (Nic) rises, which is destroying jobs, and the inheritance tax changes, which is destroying farms and family businesses'. Mr Bell said: 'This is a party opposite that has learned no lessons whatsoever, that thinks it can come to this chamber, call for more spending, oppose every tax rise and expect to ever be taken seriously again – they will not.' Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey pressed the Government to make changes to the two-child benefit cap, which means most parents cannot claim for more than two children. 'It's the right thing to do to lift pensioners out of poverty, and I'm sure that both he and the Chancellor also agree that it's right to lift children out of poverty,' the Salford MP told the Commons. 'So can he reassure this House that he and the Chancellor are doing all they can to outline plans to lift the two-child cap on universal credit as soon as possible?' Mr Bell replied: 'All levers to reduce child poverty are on the table. 'The child poverty strategy will be published in the autumn.' He added: 'If we look at who is struggling most, having to turn off their heating, it is actually younger families with children that are struggling with that. 'So she's absolutely right to raise this issue, it is one of the core purposes of this Government, we cannot carry on with a situation where large families, huge percentages of them, are in poverty.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Labour MPs in call for benefits U-turn after change to winter fuel payment cut
Labour backbenchers have called for a Government U-turn on planned disability benefit cuts, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves restored winter fuel payments to a majority of pensioners. Ms Reeves' £1.25 billion plan unveiled on Monday will see automatic payments worth up to £300 given to pensioners with an income less than £35,000 a year. It followed last year's decision to strip pensioners of the previously universal scheme, unless they claimed certain benefits, such as pension credit. Nadia Whittome, the Labour MP for Nottingham East, warned ministers they risked making a 'similar mistake' if they tighten the eligibility criteria for personal independence payments, known as Pip. Leeds East MP Richard Burgon called on pensions minister Torsten Bell to 'listen now' so that backbenchers can help the Government 'get it right'. In her warning, Ms Whittome said she was not asking Mr Bell 'to keep the status quo or not to support people into work' and added: 'I'm simply asking him not to cut disabled people's benefits.' The pensions minister, who works in both the Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions, replied that the numbers of people receiving Pip is set to 'continue to grow every single year in the years ahead, after the changes set out by this Government'. In its Pathways to Work green paper, the Government proposed a new eligibility requirement, so Pip claimants must score a minimum of four points on one daily living activity, such as preparing food, washing and bathing, using the toilet or reading, to receive the daily living element of the benefit. 'This means that people who only score the lowest points on each of the Pip daily living activities will lose their entitlement in future,' the document noted. Mr Burgon told the Commons: 'As a Labour MP who voted against the winter fuel payment cuts, I very much welcome this change in position, but can I urge the minister and the Government to learn the lessons of this and one of the lessons is, listen to backbenchers? 'If the minister and the Government listen to backbenchers, that can help the Government get it right, help the Government avoid getting it wrong, and so what we don't want is to be here in a year or two's time with a minister sent to the despatch box after not listening to backbenchers on disability benefit cuts, making another U-turn again.' Mr Bell replied that it was 'important to listen to backbenchers, to frontbenchers'. Opposition MPs cheered when the minister added: 'It's even important to listen to members opposite on occasion.' Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin warned that 'judging by the questions from his own backbenchers, it seems that we're going to have further U-turns on Pip and on the two-child benefit cap'. The Tunbridge Wells MP asked Mr Bell: 'To save his colleagues anguish, will he let us know now when those U-turns are coming?' The minister replied: 'What Labour MPs want to see is a Labour Government bringing down child poverty, and that's what we're going to do 'What Labour MPs want to see is a Government that can take the responsible decisions, including difficult ones on tax and on means testing the winter fuel payment so that we can invest in public services and turn around the disgrace that has become Britain's public realm for far too long.' Conservative former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey had earlier asked whether the Chancellor, 'now that she and the Government have got a taste for climbdowns', would 'reverse the equally ridiculous national insurance contribution (Nic) rises, which is destroying jobs, and the inheritance tax changes, which is destroying farms and family businesses'. Mr Bell said: 'This is a party opposite that has learned no lessons whatsoever, that thinks it can come to this chamber, call for more spending, oppose every tax rise and expect to ever be taken seriously again – they will not.' Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey pressed the Government to make changes to the two-child benefit cap, which means most parents cannot claim for more than two children. 'It's the right thing to do to lift pensioners out of poverty, and I'm sure that both he and the Chancellor also agree that it's right to lift children out of poverty,' the Salford MP told the Commons. 'So can he reassure this House that he and the Chancellor are doing all they can to outline plans to lift the two-child cap on universal credit as soon as possible?' Mr Bell replied: 'All levers to reduce child poverty are on the table. 'The child poverty strategy will be published in the autumn.' He added: 'If we look at who is struggling most, having to turn off their heating, it is actually younger families with children that are struggling with that. 'So she's absolutely right to raise this issue, it is one of the core purposes of this Government, we cannot carry on with a situation where large families, huge percentages of them, are in poverty.'
Business Mayor
16-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
MP to launch bill to target superyachts, private jets and fossil fuel producers
Fossil fuel companies and their shareholders and owners of superyachts and private jets should have to pay into a fund for flood defences and home insulation, according to a private member's bill to be launched on Thursday. The bill is part of a broader movement by campaigners to 'make polluters pay', demanding that oil and gas companies, and those who benefit from fossil fuels, should take on more of the direct responsibility for tackling the climate crisis, rather than funding such measures from general taxation. As well as targeting oil and gas companies, the bill proposes ending subsidies for such businesses, taxing shareholders in receipt of dividends and capital gains on heavily polluting assets and companies whose operations have an impact on nature, and taxing the users and operators of luxury forms of travel including superyachts and private jets. Richard Burgon, the Labour MP who has tabled the bill in parliament, said: 'Fossil fuel giants have driven us to the cliff edge of climate catastrophe. They've made obscene profits while millions suffer the consequences. It's only right that those most responsible for the crisis fund the urgent climate action needed, both at home and abroad.' The move comes amid growing concerns over a net zero backlash, partly fuelled by Reform UK, which had record success in local elections and is riding high in political opinion polls. Reform has repeatedly taken aim at net zero policies, claiming that they are paid for by people on lower incomes. Reform's success has led to questions over how to pay for the shift to a low-carbon economy. Keir Starmer, speaking in parliament on Wednesday, accused Reform of being 'anti-jobs, anti-growth, anti-business and anti-investment'. The bill, formally known as the climate finance fund (fossil fuels and pollution) bill, has almost no chance of becoming law, but is aimed at kickstarting a campaign inside and outside parliament to gather support for measures to make polluters pay. Polling by More in Common, commissioned by the campaign group Global Witness, indicates that such a campaign could have resonance with voters, including those intending to vote for Reform. It found that two-thirds of UK adults were worried about increasing damages from extreme weather and other effects of the climate crisis, such as sea level rise and crop failure, and that a majority of people who said they would vote Reform if a general election were held tomorrow thought that oil and gas companies should be held responsible for repairing the damage caused by global heating. Seven in 10 Reform-leaning voters supported higher taxes on oil and gas companies and other high-emitting businesses. Flossie Boyd, a senior campaigner at Global Witness, said: 'Despite Reform leaders' vocal opposition to climate action, the poll reveals that most Reform-leaning voters are worried about climate change, and a huge proportion want to see the firms and individuals most responsible for it taxed more. skip past newsletter promotion The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news – the good, the bad and the essential Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion 'Politicians who want to protect communities and win over voters should take notice – we need investment to prepare for climate risks like flooding and storms, and we need the costs to be borne by big polluters raking in billions.' Louise Hutchins, the campaigns director at Stamp Out Poverty, said: 'There's huge public support for making big polluters pay up for the climate damage they've caused. The government has big decisions ahead about climate funding, at home and abroad. When five oil and gas corporations made over $100bn [£75bn] in profit in 2024, it's time ministers started looking to those responsible.'
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
MP to launch bill to target superyachts, private jets and fossil fuel producers
Fossil fuel companies and their shareholders and owners of superyachts and private jets should have to pay into a fund for flood defences and home insulation, according to a private member's bill to be launched on Thursday. The bill is part of a broader movement by campaigners to 'make polluters pay', demanding that oil and gas companies, and those who benefit from fossil fuels, should take on more of the direct responsibility for tackling the climate crisis, rather than funding such measures from general taxation. As well as targeting oil and gas companies, the bill proposes ending subsidies for such businesses, taxing shareholders in receipt of dividends and capital gains on heavily polluting assets and companies whose operations have an impact on nature, and taxing the users and operators of luxury forms of travel including superyachts and private jets. Richard Burgon, the Labour MP who has tabled the bill in parliament, said: 'Fossil fuel giants have driven us to the cliff edge of climate catastrophe. They've made obscene profits while millions suffer the consequences. It's only right that those most responsible for the crisis fund the urgent climate action needed, both at home and abroad.' The move comes amid growing concerns over a net zero backlash, partly fuelled by Reform UK, which had record success in local elections and is riding high in political opinion polls. Reform has repeatedly taken aim at net zero policies, claiming that they are paid for by people on lower incomes. Reform's success has led to questions over how to pay for the shift to a low-carbon economy. Keir Starmer, speaking in parliament on Wednesday, accused Reform of being 'anti-jobs, anti-growth, anti-business and anti-investment'. The bill, formally known as the climate finance fund (fossil fuels and pollution) bill, has almost no chance of becoming law, but is aimed at kickstarting a campaign inside and outside parliament to gather support for measures to make polluters pay. Polling by More in Common, commissioned by the campaign group Global Witness, indicates that such a campaign could have resonance with voters, including those intending to vote for Reform. It found that two-thirds of UK adults were worried about increasing damages from extreme weather and other effects of the climate crisis, such as sea level rise and crop failure, and that a majority of people who said they would vote Reform if a general election were held tomorrow thought that oil and gas companies should be held responsible for repairing the damage caused by global heating. Seven in 10 Reform-leaning voters supported higher taxes on oil and gas companies and other high-emitting businesses. Flossie Boyd, a senior campaigner at Global Witness, said: 'Despite Reform leaders' vocal opposition to climate action, the poll reveals that most Reform-leaning voters are worried about climate change, and a huge proportion want to see the firms and individuals most responsible for it taxed more. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion 'Politicians who want to protect communities and win over voters should take notice – we need investment to prepare for climate risks like flooding and storms, and we need the costs to be borne by big polluters raking in billions.' Louise Hutchins, the campaigns director at Stamp Out Poverty, said: 'There's huge public support for making big polluters pay up for the climate damage they've caused. The government has big decisions ahead about climate funding, at home and abroad. When five oil and gas corporations made over $100bn [£75bn] in profit in 2024, it's time ministers started looking to those responsible.'
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Starmer warned he faces 'mother of all rebellions' as Labour unrest mounts on immigration and benefits - despite poll finding Brits back his 'island of strangers' warning
Keir Starmer has been warned he faces the 'mother of all rebellions' as Labour unrest mounts over immigration and benefits curbs. Sir Keir is braced for a stormy PMQs session as his MPs openly demand he shifts position on the crucial policies. A slew of backbenchers have broken cover condemning his warning that Britain risks becoming an 'island of strangers' - forcing Downing Street to deny it was an echo of Enoch Powell's 'Rivers of Blood' speech. Left-winger Richard Burgon insisted last night that Sir Keir should apologise, accusing him of an 'act of political desperation' after Reform's surge in the local elections. However, a YouGov poll suggested that Brits were mostly behind the premier's words. Some 41 per cent had no issue with the sentiment or the language he used, while a further 9 per cent did not agree with the sentiment but were unbothered by the words. In total 30 per cent believed the language was inapproriate. Perhaps more worryingly for Labour, half thought the policies Sir Keir unveiled would either make no difference to immigration or increase levels. Just a fifth expect the plan will reduce numbers. Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden tried to calm the row as he toured broadcast studios this morning. 'Honestly, I think this has been way overblown,' he told LBC. Left-winger Richard Burgon insisted last night that Sir Keir should apologise, accusing him of an 'act of political desperation' after Reform's surge in the local elections Asked if he would use the phrase 'island of strangers', Mr McFadden said: 'It depends on the context. 'I mean, I might, because what the Prime Minister was talking about was, we need a society with rules. We need a society with responsibilities and obligations.' The premier is facing a barrage of criticism over his new approach - a dramatic shift from his previous stance as he tries to counter the poll threat from Reform. Some have accused him of emulating Powell's 1968 'Rivers of Blood' speech, when the then-senior Tory said white British people could find themselves 'strangers in their own country' as a result of migration. Launching the White Paper on Monday, Sir Keir said: 'Let me put it this way - nations depend on rules, fair rules. 'Sometimes they're written down, often they're not, but either way, they give shape to our values, guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to each other. 'Now in a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that, these rules become even more important. 'Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.' London mayor Sadiq Khan insisted he would not have used the phrase 'island of strangers' as the PM struggles to contain anger on his own benches. Welsh Labour leader also repeatedly dodged endorsing Sir Keir's words as she was grilled in the Senedd. The White Paper pledged to toughen skills thresholds for visas, close the care work route, demand more fluent English, and make people wait a decade for full citizenship. However, Sir Keir has flatly refused to set any hard cap or targets, instead merely stating there will be a 'significant' in numbers fall by the next election. The chair of the Migration Advisory Committee has estimated that net long-term immigration will reduce from over 700,000 annually to 'under 300,000 and probably closer to 250,000'. It was already projected to drop to around 340,000 in the coming years. Details released by the Home Office indicated it expects the package to achieve a 98,000 reduction in arrivals. Mr Burgon, Labour MP for Leeds East and secretary of the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group parliamentary caucus, told LBC on Sir Keir's immigration intervention: 'The thing that I would say is that I don't think he would have made this speech yesterday if he were miles ahead and if we were miles ahead in the polls.' He also flagged a looming revolt on cuts to benefits - with around 80 MPs voicing concerns. 'I think it'll be the mother of all rebellions if the government doesn't do the right thing and drop this,' Mr Burgon said. 'That's why myself and other Labour MPs from the Socialist Campaign Group, have been pushing for a wealth tax as an alternative to trying to balance the books on the backs of the disabled.'
