Ministers are discussing the prospect of further concessions to win over a growing list of Labour MPs poised to rebel against planned welfare reforms ahead of a crunch vote next week.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said talks between backbenchers and Government were 鈥渙ngoing鈥 on Wednesday night as Downing Street seeks to head off what would be Sir Keir Starmer鈥檚 first Commons defeat.
It came as six more Labour MPs added their names to an amendment that would halt the legislation in its tracks, arguing disabled people have not been properly consulted and further scrutiny of the changes is needed.
The new signatories include the Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee chairman Toby Perkins, Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell, Newcastle upon Tyne MP Mary Glindon and Tamworth MP Sarah Edwards.
North Ayrshire and Arran MP Irene Campbell and Colchester MP Pam Cox, both of whom won their seats in the party鈥檚 2024 landslide election victory, have also added their names.
The new names takes the total number of Labour backbenchers supporting the so-called 鈥渞easoned amendment,鈥 tabled by Treasury Select Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hiller, to 126.
The Prime Minister has insisted the reforms are set for a Commons vote on Tuesday as planned, but ministers are locked in talks with backbenchers about the possibility of making changes to soften the impact of the Bill as a major revolt looms.
Asked what concessions could be offered to convince rebels to back the Government, Ms Rayner sought to reassure backbenchers that they would not be expected to betray the party鈥檚 traditional values.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to get into that on your show tonight,鈥 she said in an interview on ITV鈥檚 Peston programme.
鈥淭hose discussions are ongoing around making sure that the welfare reforms that we鈥檙e bringing in support people into work who need that, and we鈥檙e putting a huge amount of investment into doing that, but also protecting the most vulnerable.鈥
She acknowledged that 鈥渁 lot of people are very scared about these changes鈥 but added: 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 changed my Labour values and we鈥檙e not expecting our benches to do anything that isn鈥檛 in check with them.
鈥淲hat we want to do is support people, and that is the crucial bit around these reforms of what Labour are trying to achieve, and we鈥檙e discussing that with our MPs.鈥
The plans restrict eligibility for personal independence payment (Pip), the main disability payment in England, and limit the sickness-related element of universal credit. The Government hopes the changes will get more people back into work and save up to 拢5 billion a year.
Existing claimants will be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support, a move seen as a bid to head off opposition by aiming to soften the impact of the changes.
But the fact so many Labour MPs are prepared to put their names to the 鈥渞easoned amendment鈥 calling for a change of course shows how entrenched the opposition remains.
One backbencher preparing to vote against the Bill told the PA news agency: 鈥淎 lot of people have been saying they鈥檙e upset about this for months. To leave it until a few days before the vote, it鈥檚 not a very good way of running the country.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not very grown up.鈥
They said that minor concessions would not be enough, warning: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you can tinker with this. They need to go back to the drawing board.鈥
According to the Government鈥檚 impact assessment, the welfare reforms as a whole could push an extra 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into relative poverty.
Asked whether she thought there were hundreds of thousands of people claiming disability benefits who were not disabled, Ms Rayner said: 鈥淣o, what we鈥檙e saying though is that the welfare system has to be able to have longevity.鈥
Earlier on Wednesday, Sir Keir defended his leadership against accusations he had misjudged the mood in his party, insisting he is 鈥渃omfortable with reading the room鈥.
At a press conference at the Nato summit in The Hague, the Prime Minister said: 鈥淚s it tough going? Are there plenty of people and noises off? Yes, of course, there always are, there always have been, there always will be.
鈥淏ut the important thing is to focus on the change that we want to bring about.鈥
Later on Wednesday, armed forces minister Luke Pollard echoed the Deputy Prime Minister, telling Sky News鈥檚 Politics Hub show that 鈥渙f course鈥 the Government was in talks about possibly making changes.
鈥淥f course we are, and I think there鈥檚 a concern that鈥檚 very valid and real for lots of my colleagues. They鈥檙e not doing this to cause trouble or be argumentative,鈥 he said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e doing it because they have a genuine, heartfelt concern about some of the impacts. 鈥
He said some of the reforms would be supported across the party but 鈥渨here there is concerns鈥 those discussions will continue until the vote and beyond.鈥
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr Pollard said the Government had 鈥渂etween now and Tuesday to listen to those concerns鈥 and 鈥渢o address them鈥 before making the case for reform in the Commons debate next week.
Asked whether the Government would listen to calls for it to change course over planned cuts to Pip, he said: 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 for many colleagues where the real concern is.鈥
The Daily Telegraph reported that the Prime Minister was prepared to back down on the welfare Bill with Number 10 considering tabling its own amendment to the legislation on Tuesday.
Options being considered include a commitment to speed up payment of support to help people back into work and offering assurances that reviews of policies in this area will be published, according to the paper.
Meanwhile, The Times reported some MPs opposed to the plans had blamed Sir Keir鈥檚 chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and suggested the time had come for 鈥渞egime change鈥 in Downing Street.
Other senior Labour figures outside Parliament, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, have publicly expressed their opposition to the plans.
Meanwhile, the Tories seem unlikely to lend the Government their support, with leader Kemi Badenoch setting out conditions for doing so including a commitment to rule out tax rises in the autumn budget and further cut the benefits bill.