Starmer: Internal Revolt as Labour MPs Reject 'Impossible to Support' Welfare Reform Plans

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Starmer Faces Internal Revolt as Labour MPs Reject 'Impossible to Support' Welfare Reform Plans

 

Sir Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure from within his own party as dozens of Labour MPs signal they cannot support his proposed welfare reforms without significant changes. The prime minister has been urged to delay the legislation, with dissenting voices describing the plans as “the biggest attack on the welfare state” since the Conservative-led austerity era.

 

The reforms, which aim to slash the welfare budget by £5 billion annually and tighten the eligibility criteria for incapacity benefits, have sparked deep concern among MPs and disability advocates alike. A letter circulated among Labour backbenchers, and seen by Sky News, warned that the reforms are “impossible to support” in their current form and called for an immediate pause.

 

“The planned cuts of more than £7bn represent the biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne ushered in the years of austerity and over three million of our poorest and most disadvantaged will be affected,” the letter stated. The MPs went on to argue that the proposed measures have already caused “a huge amount of anxiety among disabled people and their families.”

 

While the government believes the reforms are necessary to address structural problems in the current benefits system, critics argue they risk doing more harm than good. “Whilst the government may have correctly diagnosed the problem of a broken benefits system and a lack of job opportunities for those who are able to work, they have come up with the wrong medicine,” the letter continued. “Cuts don't create jobs, they just cause more hardship.”

 

The MPs are demanding a delay in the legislative process until full impact assessments on employment, health, and social care outcomes are published. They argue that voting on the reforms without this information would be irresponsible and unfair to those who will be directly affected.

 

A government assessment released in March already offered a grim preview of the possible fallout, estimating that an additional 250,000 people—including 50,000 children—could be pushed into relative poverty by the end of the decade if the reforms go ahead as planned.

 

The letter also stresses that any meaningful reform of the benefits system must involve collaboration with disabled people and their representative organisations. “We also need to invest in creating job opportunities and ensure the law is robust enough to provide employment protections against discrimination,” the MPs wrote. “Without a change in direction, the green paper will be impossible to support.”

 

This backlash comes at a difficult moment for Sir Keir and his leadership team, following disappointing results in the recent local elections. Labour lost the Runcorn by-election and control of Doncaster Council to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, raising questions about the party’s electoral strategy and direction. Internal party tensions are rising, with MPs from traditional northern constituencies urging a stronger stance on immigration, while those representing urban and metropolitan areas caution against alienating progressive voters who might turn to the Greens or other left-wing alternatives.

 

In response to the unrest, Starmer dispatched Pat McFadden, his chief cabinet enforcer, to reassure MPs in a private meeting on Wednesday night. Addressing a group of around 100 MPs, McFadden acknowledged the political storm brewing and sought to refocus the party. He warned that Labour was now facing “the fight of our lives” against the populist surge led by Nigel Farage.

 

As the government prepares for a parliamentary vote on the welfare reforms, it remains to be seen whether Starmer can maintain party unity—or whether this rebellion will mark a deeper ideological fracture within Labour.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Sky News  2025-05-10