By Nina Lloyd
A Cabinet minister has urged Labour MPs to back the Government鈥檚 welfare Bill in a crunch vote as Sir Keir Starmer continues to face a major rebellion despite making concessions to disgruntled backbenchers.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds warned that retreating entirely from the reforms would mean losing the chance to 鈥渕ake any changes for the better whatsoever鈥 and undermining 鈥減ublic support鈥.
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.
But ahead of the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill鈥檚 second reading in the Commons on Tuesday evening, some 39 backbenchers signed an amendment rejecting the legislation.
That number is far lower than the 83 needed to overturn the Prime Minister鈥檚 majority, but leading rebel Rachel Maskell has warned 鈥渕any more鈥 have told her they still plan to vote against the Government鈥檚 plans.
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.
Asked whether MPs would lose the whip for voting against the Government, he 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.
It 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.
鈥淭here are people in the UK getting severe disablement allowance. That closed to new entrants in 2001. So this is quite common,鈥 he said.
He added: 鈥淚f people think Governments will dodge difficult issues, spend a lot of money even on outcomes they don鈥檛 think are very good, and the public don鈥檛 support, and if that chance to reform the system is seen to have been lost entirely, that undermines public support.鈥
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the minister warned: 鈥淚f we were to completely retreat from this, I think we would lose the chance to make any changes for the better whatsoever.鈥
Some 126 Labour MPs had previously signed a 鈥渞easoned amendment鈥 proposed by Treasury Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier that would have stopped the legislation if approved.
The Government looks set to have averted a revolt on that scale after watering down its reforms following a series of crisis talks with leading rebels last week, but backbench anger continues to simmer.
York Central MP Rachel Maskell said that many more backbenchers than the 39 who put their names to her amendment had told her they plan to reject the Government鈥檚 package of reforms.
She 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.
鈥淵es, I support getting disabled people into work where they鈥檝e been discriminated and dismissed, of course that鈥檚 important, but when those people can鈥檛 work or need longer to prepare for work, it is vital we don鈥檛 remove their lifeline,鈥 she said.
鈥淥r else they鈥檒l disappear further and further into the margins.鈥