UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner defends Labour’s welfare reforms as 122 MPs rebel, insisting the vote will go ahead despite internal divisions in the party.
As reported by The Guardian, Angela Rayner has publicly backed Keir Starmer’s welfare shake-up amid growing unrest within Labour ranks that could block the legislation.
Standing in for Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs during his trip to the Nato summit, Ms Rayner defended the continuing welfare reforms, stating they would aid “millions trapped in a failing [welfare] system.”
Angela Rayner’s views on Labour’s welfare bill vote
Angela Rayner reaffirmed Labour’s identity as “the party of fairness” and expressed confidence that the welfare reform vote would proceed next Tuesday, even as 122 MPs support a rebellion.
She said,
“We’re investing £1bn into tailored employment support, a right to try to help more people back into work, and ending reassessments for the most severely disabled who will never be able to work.”
Ms Rayner added,
“We won’t walk away and stand by and abandon millions of people trapped in the failing system left behind by [the shadow chancellor, Mel Stride] and his colleagues.”
A memo from the deputy prime minister, leaked earlier this year, revealed she had pushed for taxing corporations and wealthy individuals. She reportedly clashed with the Treasury over proposed budget reductions to the Housing and Local Government Ministry.
What did Angela Rayner say about Labour’s welfare rebels?
Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride stated,
“It is great to see (Ms Rayner) standing in temporarily for the prime minister for the second week running, although I know there are many sitting behind her who wish this was a permanent arrangement.”
He said,
“Indeed, you will find many of their names amongst the 122 who have signed up to oppose the government’s welfare Bill. They say that the Bill is dangerously rushed and ill thought through. So can (Ms Rayner) explain why she thinks that she is right, and 122 of her colleagues are wrong?”
Ms Rayner replied,
“We won’t walk away and stand by and abandon millions of people trapped in the failing system left behind by him and his colleagues.”
When asked again about the timing of the vote, Ms Rayner responded,
“I don’t know if he, sort of, listened to what I said, because he was reading off the script, but what I can tell him – and I don’t need a script – we will go ahead on Tuesday.”
What did Angela Rayner say about Tory demands on welfare reform?
The Conservatives say they will support Labour’s welfare reform if it includes further benefit cuts, no tax hikes, and measures to boost employment.
According to Rayner, the Tories failed to review the reforms closely. She argued the plan was meant to help people find work and fix a broken system built under their watch.
Who led efforts to stop Labour rebels from opposing welfare reforms?
Efforts to win over backbenchers were instead led by:
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting
- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden
- Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds
- Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall
Sadiq Khan’s views on the impact of welfare reforms on disabled Londoners
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said,
“I have always said that more must be done to support people to go from relying on benefits to getting back into work. It’s vital for a healthy and prosperous London.”
He added,
“What we can’t do is take away the vital safety net that so many vulnerable and disabled Londoners rely upon. Having looked at the analysis of the Government’s plans, the impact on London will be substantial, and for too many disabled Londoners it will destroy their financial safety net.”
What did Kemi Badenoch say about backing Starmer’s welfare bill?
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch offered to back Starmer’s welfare bill with Conservative votes, risking backlash from Labour ranks.
She said,
“The 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. The first condition is that the welfare budget is too high; it needs to come down. This bill does not do that.”
Ms Badenoch added,
“The second condition is that we need to get people back into work. Unemployment is rising, jobs are disappearing, and even the government’s impact assessments say that the package in this bill will not get people back to work. The third is that we want to see no new tax rises in the autumn. We can’t have new tax rises to pay for the increases in welfare and other government spending.”