Labour rebels have said they will refuse to support Keir Starmer’s plans to slash disability benefits – despite claims they could face deselection if they vote against the reforms.
The Independent has been told that MPs – including ministers – considering rebelling against the government’s welfare reforms on Tuesday next week have been threatened with losing the whip and even, according to two sources, deselection.
The issue is set to come to a head in a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday evening.
The government plans to make £5bn a year in savings on welfare mostly by reducing personal independence payments (PIPs) for those with disabilities by limiting access to them for all apart from the most disabled.
Around 80 Labour MPs, including 12 ministers, are understood to be considering rebelling against the legislation needed to cut the welfare bill by £5bn a year.
According to sources, ministers and other MPs have been warned they could face deselection if they resign and vote against the government.Downing Street denied this, with a source saying: “This isn’t how we do business.”
But a number of others have been warned that th could face the same consequences of former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, Zara Sultana and others who lost the whip after rebelling over the two child benefit cap.
Last week deputy prime minister Angela Rayner refused to rule out punishments for those planned to rebel against the government.
Meanwhile, it is understood that MPs requesting permission to miss the vote are being denied because the government wants a show of loyalty on the second reading vote on 1 July.
In the PLP meeting on Monday evening just a week before the vote, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall will try to persuade fellow Labour MPs that the government has no choice but to balance the books.
But former Jeremy Corbyn ally Richard Burgon has announced that he will be presenting a petition demanding wealth taxes instead of benefits cuts next week just 24 hours before the crucial vote.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), he said: “It’s now confirmed: the vote on disability cuts will be next week.
“So next Monday in Parliament, I’ll be presenting my petition for a Wealth Tax – not disability cuts.
“Over 70,000 have already signed! Let’s get as many as possible.”
The issue became a subject of tensions in the run-up to last month’s spending review when a leaked memo from Ms Rayner also proposed eight new wealth taxes on the richest individuals and big corporations as an alternative to cuts.
Last week though Sir Keir made it clear he will not provide any more concessions to rebels having already provided extra clarification for those who apply for PIPs.
He said: “Well, we have got to get the reforms through and I have been clear about that from start to finish. The system is not working; it’s not working for those that need support, it’s not working for taxpayers. Everybody agrees it needs reform, we have got to reform it, and that is what we intend to do.”
Asked about a potential rebellion, he responded: “The principles remain the same, those who can work should work. Those who need support into work should have that support into work, which I don’t think they are getting at the moment.
“Those who are never going to be able to work should be properly supported and protected. And that includes not being reassessed and reassessed. So they are the principles, we need to do reform, and we will be getting on with that reform when the bill comes.”
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