By David Lynch
Sir Keir Starmer has defended his Government鈥檚 record over its first year in office, all while he faces the largest revolt of his premiership.
The Prime Minister insisted at a meeting of senior ministers that his team could look back with a 鈥渞eal sense of pride and achievement鈥 as the July 5 anniversary of his first year in office nears.
The Government鈥檚 work has focused on giving working people a 鈥渃hance to thrive, not just survive鈥, a Downing Street spokesman said, as Labour backbenchers continue to threaten a rebellion over welfare reforms they insist will have a negative impact on disabled people.
The welfare reform Bill will have its first airing in the Commons on Tuesday, and some Labour backbenchers continue to say they will vote to halt the legislation, after a much larger rebellion was quelled by ministers last week.
Cabinet ministers, and even the Prime Minister himself, are said to be involved in efforts to persuade Labour MPs not to join the rebellion.
Sir Keir opened the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning by telling senior ministers the welfare reforms are 鈥渄esigned to help those who can work into employment and ensure dignity and security for those who can鈥檛 work鈥, a No 10 spokesman said.
鈥淗e then reflected on the last year in office, saying we could all rightly look back with a real sense of pride and achievement,鈥 the spokesman added.
No 10 pointed to the three trade deals struck with India, the US, and the EU, the extra investment in the spending review, and a cut in NHS waiting lists among the Government鈥檚 achievements one year on.
The spokesman added: 鈥淗e said the Government鈥檚 work is all designed and focused on improving the lives of working people and giving them the chance to thrive, not just survive, and the Government should be proud of those achievements as a team.鈥
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds had earlier urged Labour MPs to back the reforms package, and warned that retreating entirely from them would mean losing the chance to 鈥渕ake any changes for the better whatsoever鈥 and undermining 鈥減ublic support鈥.
鈥淚鈥檇 ask (colleagues) to support the Government on that basis, because clearly what we鈥檝e got here is something which is better than the existing system,鈥 Mr Reynolds told Sky News on Tuesday morning.
Ministers hope a partial U-turn on the benefit cuts, which will protect existing claimants of personal independence payments (Pip) and the health element of universal credit, are enough to win over Labour rebels.
Ahead of the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill鈥檚 second reading in the Commons on Tuesday evening, 39 Labour backbenchers have signed an amendment aimed at halting its progress.
Leading rebel Rachael Maskell has warned 鈥渕any more鈥 have told her they still plan to vote against the Government鈥檚 plans than those who have signed up.
The York Central MP said she had no fear in voting down the Bill and felt a 鈥渕oral duty鈥 to 鈥渟peak up for鈥 disabled people.
Asked whether MPs would lose the whip for voting against the Government, Mr Reynolds said he was 鈥渘ot aware of anything like that鈥 but 鈥渢hose issues are for the chief whip鈥.
To see off the threat of far greater rebellion, the Government last week softened the impact of its changes to protect some 370,000 existing Pip claimants who had been set to lose out following reassessment.
Some 126 Labour MPs had signed that previous 鈥渞easoned amendment鈥 proposed by Treasury Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier, which would have stopped the legislation if approved.
Ministers also committed to a review of the system, involving disabled people and led by disabilities minister Sir Stephen Timms, and unfreezing the higher UC rate for those already claiming the health-related element.
But critics have argued the concessions risk creating a 鈥渢hree-tier鈥 system of disparity between existing and new claimants, as well as any future changes that emerge as a result of the Timms review.
Facing questions from broadcasters on Tuesday morning, Mr Reynolds insisted it was 鈥渆ntirely normal鈥 for existing entitlements to be 鈥済randfathered鈥 during major changes to the welfare system.
Downing Street would not guarantee Sir Stephen鈥檚 review would be completed by the time its planned reforms are implemented.
No 10 was also insistent that Government modelling, which predicts its welfare proposals will push 150,000 more people into poverty by 2030, was 鈥渟ubject to uncertainty鈥.
The Downing Street spokesman said the prediction did not take into account the additional 拢1 billion a year the Government is investing in helping get people with disabilities and long-term health conditions into work or support with the cost of living.