Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, is under fire from some of his own MPs after announcing plans to reduce spending on welfare benefits. Starmer has promised to be “ruthless with cuts” to welfare, which has upset many in his party who believe this goes against Labour’s traditional values of supporting those in need.
Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is preparing to introduce changes to the welfare system this spring. She has warned that the current system is not sustainable and needs to be fixed to avoid ongoing costs. The UK’s welfare spending is expected to go over the budget limit set by the previous Conservative government by £8.6 billion in 2024/25. While the full details of the cuts haven’t been revealed, Starmer has said that Labour will not hesitate to make tough cuts to welfare spending if needed to balance the government’s budget.
However, many Labour MPs are unhappy with this approach. They feel that cutting welfare benefits doesn’t align with the party’s long-standing commitment to helping the most vulnerable in society. Some MPs, especially those who were recently elected, are worried about how they will explain these cuts to their voters, many of whom are already struggling.
Kim Johnson, a Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, called the plans “absolutely disgraceful.” She accused the government of targeting the poorest and most vulnerable people in society, saying it feels like they are “picking the pockets of those most in need.”
Other MPs have shared concerns about how these cuts will affect their constituents. One MP said they are preparing for backlash from voters, while another mentioned receiving emails from people who are terrified about how the cuts will impact them. One voter wrote, “This will have a devastating impact on me if it affects me. I’m already barely getting by. I can’t afford to lose anything else.”
Liz Kendall has blamed the previous Conservative government for the current state of the welfare system, saying they failed to address the rising number of people who are unable to work due to long-term health issues. She also suggested that some people receiving health and disability benefits might be taking advantage of the system. This comes after a survey by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) found that 49% of people on these benefits said they didn’t think they would ever be able to work again. However, 27% said they might be able to work in the future if their health improves, and this number rose to 44% for those with mental health problems.
Kendall emphasized that many people on sickness or disability benefits actually want to work but are unable to due to their health conditions. She said, “Many of them have either just lost jobs they miss or really want to get back to work once their health improves.” At the same time, she acknowledged that there are some people who might be abusing the system, and this needs to be addressed.
The government is also proposing new measures to tackle benefit fraud. These include allowing the DWP to take money directly from the bank accounts of people suspected of fraud and to access their bank statements.
However, some MPs, like Paula Barker from Liverpool Wavertree, have warned that these measures could lead to mistakes, similar to the Horizon Post Office scandal, where innocent people were wrongly accused of fraud.
In addition to the welfare cuts, there has been controversy over changes to inheritance tax on farmland. Over 1,000 tractors descended on Westminster to protest the policy, which farmers say unfairly targets them.
Labour MP Sam Rushworth argued that inheriting a farm doesn’t make someone a millionaire but instead gives them the responsibility to manage the land and produce food for the country. He called for adjustments to the policy to make it fairer for farmers.
In response, Treasury minister James Murray said the government is committed to supporting farmers, with £5 billion allocated for farming over the next two years, along with additional funds to help those affected by bad weather and to improve flood defenses..
