108 Labour MPs back amendment to kill off Starmer’s welfare bill over disability cuts

Keir Starmer faced the most significant rebellion during his premiership as more than 100 Labour MPs backed an amendment to block the party’s controversial welfare bill, which included cuts to disability benefits.

The amendment, signed by 108 MPs, calls for a pause to the legislation and further consultation before any changes are made. Spearheaded by Treasury select committee chair Meg Hillier, it also has support from senior backbenchers, former cabinet minister Louise Haigh, and ex-whip Vicky Foxcroft, who resigned her position in protest last week.

Hillier told The Guardian: “We don’t want to defeat the government, but we do want it to think again. We’re being asked to vote before there’s been consultation with disabled people or a full impact assessment.”

The amendment, set to be published on Tuesday, urges MPs to decline the second reading of the bill. It highlights the lack of formal consultation with disabled people and demands that the Office for Budget Responsibility publish its employment analysis before proceeding. The motion also criticises the timeline, noting that most promised support won’t arrive until the end of the decade.

Labour’s welfare bill proposes sweeping changes, including cuts to personal independence payments (PIP) and adjustments to universal credit for people with health conditions. The government’s own figures predict that the reforms could push 250,000 people—including 50,000 children—into poverty.

Despite warnings from MPs, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has shown no intention of backing down. “There will be no U-turn. We’re voting on it next week,” she said Monday, standing firm on the bill’s role in Labour’s wider £4.8 billion savings plan.

Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, told a private meeting of MPs the cuts were essential for the survival of the welfare state. “There is no route to social justice based on greater benefit spending alone,” she said.

But dissent is mounting. At least 170 Labour MPs have raised concerns—either publicly or privately—over the bill. Some frontbenchers are said to be weighing up whether they can remain in post if forced to support the changes.

The amendment may not be selected for debate by Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, nor is its passage guaranteed. However, the symbolism of over 100 signatories makes the legislation politically toxic. “The government hasn’t listened to private concerns,” said one senior MP. “Now it must confront them in public.”

Cabinet ministers, including Jonathan Reynolds and Lisa Nandy, have tried to rally support. But Foxcroft, a former shadow disability minister, argued the changes are indefensible: “These cuts will impact people who can’t even wash themselves or cook a meal. I couldn’t support that.”

Kendall insisted the reforms are grounded in fairness, arguing they will create a system that supports work while protecting the vulnerable. “We are building a path to a fairer society—one where those who can work are supported to do so, and those who can’t are properly protected,” she said.

But critics within the party say the plans will harm the very people Labour once championed. Without key safeguards or sufficient transitional support, many fear the reforms will resemble the austerity-era policies the party once opposed.

With the vote set for next Tuesday, Starmer faces a critical test of authority—and unity.