UK Labour Whip Resigns in Protest Against Starmer’s Welfare Reforms

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Labour Whip Resigns in Protest Against Starmer’s Welfare Reforms

 

Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft has resigned from her role as a party whip, stating she cannot stand behind welfare reforms proposed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that would result in financial losses for disabled people.

 

In a letter addressed directly to Starmer, Foxcroft expressed her opposition to what she described as damaging and unjust changes to the welfare system. “I cannot support reforms which include cuts to disabled people’s finances,” she wrote, making her stance clear in a growing internal dispute within the Labour Party.

BREAKING: Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft has resigned from her post as a government whip over Sir Keir Starmer's plan to cut benefits.

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Foxcroft’s resignation comes as tensions continue to rise over a controversial £5 billion-a-year package of proposed savings to the government’s disability and sickness benefits bill. Central to the plan are reductions in the personal independence payment (PIP), a benefit designed to support people with long-term physical or mental health conditions.

 

These measures have sparked the largest rebellion of Starmer’s leadership so far. More than 150 Labour MPs have reportedly signed a private letter voicing their opposition to the planned cuts, underscoring a deepening divide between the party’s leadership and its backbenchers.

 

Despite mounting pressure, the Prime Minister has remained defiant. Over the weekend, he made it clear he was prepared to face down dissent from within his own ranks, emphasizing the necessity of implementing the reforms. “The reforms must be pushed through,” he insisted, signaling his determination to proceed despite the backlash.

 

Specific details of the legislative changes are expected to be laid out later this week, ahead of a crucial parliamentary vote likely to take place before summer recess begins next month. The outcome of that vote may prove to be a defining moment for Starmer’s administration, as he seeks to press forward with a policy that has triggered both political fallout and public controversy.

 

Foxcroft’s departure from the frontbench adds further weight to the growing opposition movement and highlights the difficult balancing act facing Labour’s leadership: reconciling fiscal discipline with social responsibility, while maintaining party unity in the lead-up to a critical vote.

 

Her resignation letter marks a public and pointed rejection of the current direction of Labour policy under Starmer’s leadership, placing further scrutiny on the Prime Minister’s handling of internal dissent and the broader implications of cutting support for vulnerable citizens.

 

The issue of disability benefits reform is fast becoming a litmus test not only for Starmer’s leadership, but for Labour’s core values as a party that has long prided itself on defending the welfare state.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-06-21