By Kate Nicholson
Minister Bridget Phillipson has warned Labour rebels that the government鈥檚 concessions over its planned welfare bill have 鈥渃ome at a cost鈥.
After Labour backbenchers repeatedly threatened to vote against Downing Street鈥檚 plan to slash universal credit and personal independence payments (PIP), ministers were forced to water down their plans this week.
In doing so, they effectively wiped out 拢5bn of savings from the original bill.
The weakened proposals were then voted through, although 48 MPs still opposed it 鈥 sparking speculation backbenchers would now be more inclined to rebel the government again in the future.
HuffPost UK understands rebels have set their sights on lifting the two-child benefit cap after the welfare U-turn.
Education secretary Phillipson subsequently tried to send a rather firm message to MPs on Times Radio this morning.
She said: 鈥淲e are determined to bring down the numbers of children growing up in poverty.
鈥淏ut we do have to be upfront about the fact that the changes in the last week have come at a cost.
鈥淎nd whilst many will make the argument for changes around social security, they too come at a cost.
鈥淪o all of this will have to be taken together at a later date by the chancellor.
鈥淲e鈥檒l make sure the voice of disabled people and charities and others are reflected in changes to personal independence payments. But I do believe there is a need to reform the social security system.鈥
She also admitted to that the government had gone 鈥渢oo fast鈥 with welfare reforms, and told Sky News that Labour have not 鈥済ot everything right鈥 while in office,
But it does not look governing is going to get any easier for Keir Starmer now he鈥檚 completed his first year in office.
Labour MP Rachael Maskell told LBC that the government was to blame for the chaos of the last few weeks, adding: 鈥淲hen the prime minister鈥檚 door is shut, wrong decisions are made.鈥
Similarly, Labour mayor of Liverpool city, Steve Rotherham, told the Guardian: 鈥淲e could have avoided some of this by just listening to some of the people in the party who want to support Starmer, want to support Labour, but are finding it difficult because the mistakes are made and they could have been avoided.鈥
He noted: 鈥淚 do think it鈥檚 about the feeling that there鈥檚 a lack of connectivity between different bits of the party.鈥