Labour Civil War Erupts Over Brutal Benefit Cuts as Starmer Faces Massive Rebellion

Labour rebels are becoming more determined in their opposition to the government’s planned benefit cuts, despite efforts by ministers to calm tensions by offering more funding to tackle child poverty.

The proposed cuts, worth £4.8 billion, were revealed in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spring statement and are set to be voted on in Parliament soon.

But many Labour MPs are unhappy with the plan and are expected to either abstain or vote against it. This could lead to the biggest rebellion Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership has faced so far.

To ease the backlash, the government is reportedly planning to publish a new strategy focused on reducing child poverty just before the vote. This strategy may include more financial support for low-income parents with children under five. However, it’s unlikely to go as far as removing the controversial two-child benefit cap, which many MPs and campaigners oppose.

Still, the idea of a “trade-off”  helping one group while hurting another  has sparked anger among some MPs. Labour backbencher Rachael Maskell said it’s unacceptable to try to lift some children out of poverty by pushing more disabled people into it. She urged the government to listen to the growing opposition from MPs, charities, and the public.

Another rebel MP, Neil Duncan-Jordan, also rejected the idea of compromise. He said the entire policy is flawed and that choosing between which group to help isn’t fair. He warned that if the cuts are approved, his political future could be at risk, especially as many MPs have smaller majorities than the number of disabled people who stand to be affected by the changes.

One major concern among MPs is that they’re being asked to vote on the cuts without having seen any official evidence of how many people might actually be encouraged into work which is the government’s stated reason for making the changes. That analysis, from the Office for Budget Responsibility, won’t be available until later this year during the autumn budget.

Sir Keir Starmer has stood by the decision, saying that the current welfare system is both economically unsustainable and morally wrong.

He argued that the cost of welfare is rising so quickly that, if nothing changes, it could reach £70 billion per year  about one-third of the NHS’s entire budget, and more than the total spending on the Home Office and prison system combined.

He said that many people he speaks to are more concerned about public services like policing and the justice system. Starmer also pointed out that the way the welfare system is set up right now discourages people from trying to find work.

He said that if someone tries to get a job and it doesn’t work out, they often end up worse off than before, which makes people too afraid to make the move into employment.

The vote is shaping up to be a serious test of unity within the Labour Party and a major moment in the government’s plans for welfare reform.