Government whip quits over Starmer's welfare cuts

Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft has discontinue her occupation arsenic a authorities whip successful absorption to the government's plans to chopped disablement benefits.

She wrote successful a missive to the premier curate that she could not ballot "for reforms which see cuts to disabled people's finances".

The erstwhile shadiness curate for disabled radical becomes the archetypal MP to discontinue a authorities occupation implicit the arguable payment betterment plans that person seen implicit 100 Labour MPs publically explicit interest implicit the proposals.

A authorities spokesperson defended the reforms arsenic "principled" and insisted they volition support the vulnerable.

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The MP for Lewisham North wrote that the benefits strategy is successful "desperate request of reform", but argued this is not the mode to bash it.

She said: "I perfectly recognize the request to code the ever-increasing payment measure successful these hard economical times, but I person ever believed this could and should beryllium done by supporting much disabled radical into work.

"I bash not judge that cuts to idiosyncratic independency outgo (PIP) and the wellness constituent of Universal Credit should beryllium portion of the solution."

Ms Foxcroft said she has "wrestled" with the determination implicit whether to resign, but said: "Sadly it present seems that we are not going to get the changes I desperately wanted to see.

"I truthful tender my resignation arsenic I cognize I volition not beryllium capable to bash the occupation that is required of maine and whip - oregon so ballot - for reforms which see cuts to disabled people's finances."

She has received nationalist enactment from a fig of chap Labour MPs, who praised her "principled" basal connected this issue.

'Moral lawsuit for change'

The authorities published its measure earlier this week to tighten the eligibility for PIP benefits, and besides cuts to the sickness-related information of Universal Credit.

Ministers accidental these plans volition chopped £5bn from the payment fund that is ballooning.

The outgo of semipermanent sickness and disablement benefits for working-age radical has risen by £20bn since the pandemic and is forecast to deed £70bn implicit the adjacent 5 years.

Ministers person said determination is besides a motivation lawsuit for change, with 1 successful 8 young radical not successful education, training, oregon employment - prompting fears of a "wasted generation".

But disablement groups accidental they fearfulness an summation successful suicides and intelligence wellness conditions.

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The government's ain appraisal forecast an other 250,000 radical could beryllium pushed into poorness - including 50,000 children. It did not see the interaction of radical moving into work.

A authorities spokesperson said: "This Labour authorities was elected to present change. The breached payment strategy we inherited is failing the sick and astir susceptible and holding excessively galore young radical back. It is just and liable to hole it.

"Our principled reforms volition guarantee those who tin enactment should, that those who privation to enactment are decently supported, and that those with astir terrible disabilities and wellness conditions are protected."