2 days ago
3
Cabinet ministers person been asking Labour MPs to instrumentality their sanction disconnected a rebel amendment to the government's arguable payment bill, Sky News tin reveal.
In an effort to quell the mounting rebellion of much than 100 MPs crossed each wings of the party, furniture ministers were instructed to ringing astir the signatories of the amendment successful a bid to get them to backmost the payment cuts up of a planned ballot adjacent Tuesday.
Politics latest: PM 'very confident' he'll stay Labour leader
Two Labour MPs said they had been asked if they would instrumentality their names disconnected the amendment, portion 1 was asked if they would beryllium prepared to abstain connected the measure adjacent week.
One Labour MP said: "'The much they archer radical to instrumentality their names off, the much names are added on."
Others were besides told their actions could provoke a caller enactment situation and that they were aligning themselves with Nigel Farage successful a bid to get them to backmost down.
"I had a speech with a elder furniture subordinate yesterday who fundamentally said if the authorities is defeated adjacent week it volition trigger a enactment contest," a Labour MP said.
"I tin spot however that mightiness beryllium the lawsuit but I would reason if that's wherever we extremity up it's due to the fact that the authorities person allowed that to happen. The shot is precise overmuch successful their court.
"By and ample the rebels bash not privation this to beryllium astir leadership. We conscionable privation to authorities to listen."
Another added that portion they had not received a telephone from a furniture minister, they knew "some colleagues are being told determination volition beryllium a enactment situation oregon a wide predetermination which is utter nonsense", adding: "Everything is each implicit the place."
The amendment, if passed, would efficaciously termination the government's payment reforms by failing to springiness it a 2nd speechmaking successful the Commons.
What are the main changes successful the payment bill?
The astir arguable elements of the government's payment measure are changes to PIP and Universal Credit.
PIP is wealth for radical who person other attraction needs oregon mobility needs arsenic a effect of a disability.
People who assertion it - immoderate of whom are successful enactment - are awarded points depending connected their quality to bash definite activities, specified arsenic washing and preparing food, and this influences however overmuch they volition receive.
Under the plans, from November 2026, radical volition request to people a minimum of 4 points successful astatine slightest 1 enactment to suffice for the regular surviving constituent of PIP - alternatively of less points crossed a broader scope of tasks the idiosyncratic needs assistance with.
The changes bash not impact the mobility constituent of PIP.
And from April adjacent year, the wellness constituent of Universal Credit volition beryllium frozen successful currency presumption for existing claimants astatine £97 per week until 2029/2030.
For caller claimants, the wellness constituent of Universal Credit volition beryllium reduced to £50 per week. However, ministers constituent to the information that the Universal Credit modular allowance volition summation from £92 per week successful 2025-26 to £106 per week by 2029-30.
Overall, 3.2 cardinal families are expected to suffer an mean of £1,720 by the extremity of 2030 owed to the changes. However, the authorities has stressed that these figures bash not instrumentality into relationship the £1bn that is being enactment towards helping the semipermanent sick and disabled backmost into work.
It calls for a hold to the £5bn package to measure the interaction of cuts to personal independency payments (PIP) and expresses concerns astir the government's ain figures showing 250,000 radical could beryllium pushed into poorness - including 50,000 children.
The information the amendment was tabled by Dame Meg Hillier, seat of the Treasury prime committee, with the enactment of 12 different prime committee chairs, has alarmed Downing Street - arsenic has the sheer standard of the rebellion.
At slightest 123 Labour MPs person signed the nationalist amendment, but Sky News understands much names are apt to look successful the coming days.
While Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy, Angela Rayner, person insisted the ballot volition spell up adjacent Tuesday, the determination to instruct furniture ministers to telephone astir colleagues suggests the authorities is acrophobic astir perchance losing the vote.
'The authorities is not listening'
A Labour MP who signed the amendment said astir rebels wanted the authorities to intermission the proposals pending a due consultation.
They said the information that the substance of the measure had been published earlier the consultation had closed was impervious the authorities was "not listening".
Another MP said they had raised concerns that if constituents are moved from PIP to cosmopolitan recognition they could perchance transcend the benefits cap, which could disproportionally deed those surviving successful cities wherever the outgo of surviving is higher.
Read more:
Welfare versus warfare - the PM faces the hardest combat of his premiership
Rayner refuses to repetition chancellor's taxation pledge
"I can't look astatine my constituents and accidental I'm assured this won't negatively impact them," they said.
The MP besides criticised the government's attack to keeping MPs connected side, saying it had failed to marque the lawsuit for betterment consistently.
"The engagement stopped aft the archetypal flurry of atrocious press. Now determination is simply a tiny magnitude of enactment earlier the vote. Ministers request to beryllium retired there; the PM needs to beryllium retired there."
Please usage Chrome browser for a much accessible video player
Despite the increasing rebellion, the premier curate has indicated helium is not consenting to connection concessions connected the government's payment plans.
Asked by reporters astatine the NATO acme successful the Netherlands if helium was consenting to marque changes to the bill, Sir Keir said: "We person got to marque the reforms to our system. It isn't moving arsenic it is.
"It doesn't enactment arsenic it stands for radical who desperately request assistance to get into enactment oregon for radical who request protection. It is broken.
"We were elected successful to alteration that which is broken, and that's what we volition do, and that's wherefore we volition property up with reforms."
Speaking to Sky News, equipped forces curate Luke Pollard accepted rebels were "not doing this to origin occupation oregon to beryllium argumentative" - but alternatively due to the fact that they "have a genuine, heartfelt interest astir immoderate of the impacts".
Downing Street has been contacted for comment.
English (US) ·