A new attempt to stop the Government’s proposed changes to the welfare system has the backing of more than 100 Labour MPs.
An amendment signed by the MPs would allow them to vote on a resolution to reject the welfare reform bill in its entirety.
Concerns have been raised by dozens of Labour MPs regarding the proposals to reduce disability and sickness-related benefits payments in order to save 拢5 billion annually by 2030.
Even while ministers have tried in the past to mitigate the effects of the welfare reforms, many Labour MPs are still unhappy.
The welfare reform bill – known as the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill – will include proposals to make it harder for disabled people with less severe conditions to claim personal independence payment (Pip).
The amendment, which was posted on the external website of the UK Parliament, acknowledges 鈥渢he need for the reform of the social security system鈥 before stating the reasons why the measure deserves to be rejected.
10 members of the Labour Select Committee, including Debbie Abrahams and Meg Hillier, are among the 108 Labour MPs who have signed the amendment.
The list of names includes more than 50 MPs who were elected for the first time in last year’s election, in addition to those who have previously publicly challenged the Government.
If all opposition parties oppose the Government’s welfare measures, the number of Labour opponents might be sufficient to defeat Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons.
The significant backlash has sparked rumours that the bill could be cancelled, but despite the heavy criticism Angela Rayner has confirmed a vote over the bill will go ahead on Tuesday.
Suspended MPs Zarah Sultana, Apsana Begum and John McDonnell have also said they will not vote in favour of the Government鈥檚 welfare reforms.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, has profited from the political turmoil facing the Government by seemingly calculating that it would be more embarrassing for the prime minister to require her to approve a necessary measure.
In her offer to Sir Keir, she said: 鈥淭he government is in a mess, their MPs are in open rebellion. If Keir Starmer wants our support, he needs to meet three conditions that align with our core Conservative principles.
鈥淭he first condition is that the welfare budget is too high, it needs to come down. This bill does not do that. The second condition is that we need to get people back into work. Unemployment is rising, jobs are disappearing, and even the government鈥檚 own impact assessments say that the package in this bill will not get people back to work.
鈥淭he third is that we want to see no new tax rises in the autumn. We can鈥檛 have new tax rises to pay for the increases in welfare and other government spending.鈥