Keir Starmer Breaks Down After Facing His Worst Nightmare, He Didn’t See It Coming

More than 100 Labour MPs are now challenging Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decisions, especially over planned welfare cuts. A total of around 140 MPs have signed a letter asking the government to change direction.

This growing pushback is coming mostly from the left side of the Labour Party, and it could create a serious problem for Starmer. If just 83 of his own MPs vote against the plans, Labour’s majority in Parliament could disappear, putting the welfare changes at risk when they are voted on in June.

The biggest concern among the MPs is the plan to cut parts of universal credit, especially the support for people with health problems. These MPs are asking for a full review of how the changes would affect disabled people. In response, government ministers have promised to listen to these concerns and believe that, in the end, only a small number of MPs will actually vote against the plans.

But the situation has become even more tense because of something Starmer said earlier this week. He described the UK as becoming an “island of strangers” because of migration, a phrase that many on the left found offensive and even compared to Enoch Powell’s infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech from the 1960s. The backlash has added more pressure on the Prime Minister.

At the same time, another issue is stirring anger among MPs—plans to apply immigration rules retroactively. Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy spoke out against it, warning that it could destroy the lives of people who have lived and worked in the UK for years.

She mentioned the Windrush scandal as an example of how unfair immigration policies can harm innocent people. The rule in question is about Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is reportedly trying to turn it into law. Critics say that applying this rule to people who came years ago is deeply unfair.

However, others in the government are defending the plans. A recent report claimed that families of migrants who arrived since 2021 and are eligible for ILR could cost taxpayers up to £35 billion by 2028.

Starmer and some of his top officials, like Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, have defended the Prime Minister’s language and policy direction. McFadden said the comments about “an island of strangers” have been taken out of context and explained that Starmer was talking about the need for a society that works by clear rules and shared responsibilities.

Treasury Minister Emma Reynolds also stood firm, saying that Labour will not back down from its welfare reform plans. She said the government is continuing to talk with backbench MPs and that these discussions are a normal part of how things work. According to her, Labour MPs are playing a key role in shaping reforms while also helping to grow the economy.