Cabinet minister urges MPs to back welfare Bill as rebellion looms

A cabinet minister has urged Labour MPs to back the UK Government’s welfare Bill in a crunch vote as Sir Keir Starmer continues to face a major rebellion despite making concessions to disgruntled backbenchers.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds warned that retreating entirely from the reforms would mean losing the chance to “make any changes for the better whatsoever” and undermining “public support”.

Ministers hope a partial U-turn on the benefit cuts, which will protect existing claimants of personal independence payments (Pip) and the health element of universal credit, are enough to win over Labour rebels.

Amendment

But ahead of the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill’s second reading in the Commons on Tuesday evening, some 39 backbenchers signed an amendment rejecting the legislation.

That number is far lower than the 83 needed to overturn the Prime Minister’s majority, but leading rebel Rachel Maskell has warned “many more” have told her they still plan to vote against the Government’s plans.

“I’d ask (colleagues) to support the Government on that basis, because clearly what we’ve got here is something which is better than the existing system,” Mr Reynolds told Sky News on Tuesday morning.

Asked whether MPs would lose the whip for voting against the Government, he said he was “not aware of anything like that” but “those issues are for the chief whip”.

To see off the threat of far greater rebellion, the Government last week softened the impact of its changes to protect some 370,000 existing Pip claimants who had been set to lose out following reassessment.

Changes

It also committed to a review of the system, involving disabled people and led by disabilities minister Sir Stephen Timms, and unfreezing the higher UC rate for those already claiming the health-related element.

But critics have argued the concessions risk creating a “three-tier” system of disparity between existing and new claimants, as well as any future changes that emerge as a result of the Timms review.

Facing questions from broadcasters on Tuesday morning, Mr Reynolds insisted it was “entirely normal” for existing entitlements to be “grandfathered” during major changes to the welfare system.

“There are people in the UK getting severe disablement allowance. That closed to new entrants in 2001. So this is quite common,” he said.

He added: “If people think Governments will dodge difficult issues, spend a lot of money even on outcomes they don’t think are very good, and the public don’t support, and if that chance to reform the system is seen to have been lost entirely, that undermines public support.”

Rebels

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the minister warned: “If we were to completely retreat from this, I think we would lose the chance to make any changes for the better whatsoever.”

Some 126 Labour MPs had previously signed a “reasoned amendment” proposed by Treasury Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier that would have stopped the legislation if approved.

The UK Government looks set to have averted a revolt on that scale after watering down its reforms following a series of crisis talks with leading rebels last week, but backbench anger continues to simmer.

York Central MP Rachel Maskell said that many more backbenchers than the 39 who put their names to her amendment had told her they plan to reject the Government’s package of reforms.

She said she had no fear in voting down the Bill and felt a “moral duty” to “speak up for” disabled people.

“Yes, I support getting disabled people into work where they’ve been discriminated and dismissed, of course that’s important, but when those people can’t work or need longer to prepare for work, it is vital we don’t remove their lifeline,” she said.

“Or else they’ll disappear further and further into the margins.”