UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft urges Keir Starmer to engage with MPs after resigning as whip over welfare cuts she feared would seriously harm disabled people.
As reported by The Independent, a former Labour frontbencher who resigned over benefit cut plans said Sir Keir Starmer must listen to concerns raised by his own MPs.
Vicky Foxcroft’s views on Labour’s welfare reforms
Vicky Foxcroft, who quit as whip in June, urged Labour to listen to backbenchers after welfare reforms were blocked.
She voiced serious concern that the abandoned welfare reforms would have negatively impacted disabled individuals, prompting her to speak out publicly.
Ms Foxcroft said,
“There was some quite bad cuts to disabled people’s benefits suggested, particularly around Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and having to have four points before you would be able to access the benefit.”
She stated, “
And I was just really concerned about that. And, you know, at that point, I didn’t feel that I could support it and didn’t feel that I could go out and whip for it and get other MPs to do the same.”
Ex-MP described the decision to resign as deeply painful, admitting she had “sleepless nights” and would have preferred not to take such a step.
Ms Foxcroft said,
“I was actually having a hard personal time at that time as well, with my dad passing away quite suddenly. And so, you know, I had the stress of all of that, but also I was really worried about these proposals, and I really spoke to lots of people about what my concerns were around it. I had some sleepless nights, it plays on your mind the whole time.”
When asked what the government should change, she insisted,
“I think it’s really important to listen to MPs. MPs are out in their constituencies. They’re meeting with people. You know, when they’re raising concerns it is coming from what people are worried about. It’s really important that that engagement takes place in the future. And properly takes place.”
She expressed confidence in a political recovery, insisting the government can improve its standing even as Reform UK continues to rise in the polls.
Ms Foxcroft added,
“We’ve got quite a few years until a general election, and we are doing a lot of good things in Parliament, the Renters’ Rights Bill, the Employment Rights Bill, the Football Governance Bill, but at the moment, some of this stuff is just bills in Parliament. What we need is people to feel the difference, actually, genuinely in their lives.”
How low can Keir Starmer’s approval ratings go after the welfare U-turn?
Voter unease with Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership is rising on both the left and right, with his approval rating plunging to its lowest point this month.
The Labour leader’s approval rating dropped to a low of minus 43 following the £5bn welfare U-turn, according to recent polling figures.
A year after taking office, Mr Starmer’s administration is seen by 70% of voters as being at least as chaotic as the last Conservative term.
What did Rachael Maskell say about the PIP reform backlash?
Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, stated,
“They are going to have to go back to the negotiating table … deaf and disabled people’s organisations are rejecting these changes as they fails to address future need and gives no security for people with fluctuating conditions, for instance where people are in remission.”
What did Peter Lamb say about the true aim of the welfare bill?
Labour MP Peter Lamb said,
“Despite many improvements to the system set out in the bill, at its core the bill remains a cost-cutting exercise. No matter the level of involvement of disability groups in co-producing a scheme for new applicants, to save money, the new scheme has to result in people with high levels of need losing the support necessary to wash themselves, dress themselves and feed themselves.”
What did James Taylor say about the impact of welfare cuts?
The charity Scope director, James Taylor, stated,
“It is encouraging that the government is starting to listen to disabled people and MPs who have been campaigning for change for months. But these plans will still rip billions from the welfare system.”
He added,
“The proposed concessions will create a two-tier benefits system and an unequal future for disabled people. Life costs more if you are disabled. And these cuts will have a devastating effect on disabled people’s health, ability to live independently or work.”
Which Labour MPs opposed the welfare reform plans?
- Vicky Foxcroft
- Meg Hillier
- Rachael Maskell
- Debbie Abrahams
- Sarah Owen
- Marie Tidball
- Sadiq Khan
- Andy Burnham
- Louise Haigh
Labour welfare U-turn
- PIP changes scrapped for existing claimants.
- New claimants to get less under stricter rules.
- Existing payments are protected until 2030.
- MPs sent a revised plan to ease backlash.
250k at risk of falling into poverty. - Fears of ‘two-tier’ system remain