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Rachel Reeves has issued a warning to Labour rebels over the Government’s controversial welfare reforms as one party insider has said the revolt is a “massive f*** you to Keir and Rachel”.
Overall, 134 MPs are now backing an amendment that would effectively threaten the Government’s proposed changes, an Order Paper published by Parliament late on Wednesday indicated.
The row all focuses on proposed reforms that make it harder to claim the main disability benefit, personal independence payments (PIP).
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he would press ahead with the overhaul, insisting there was a “clear moral case” for change.
However, things were plunged into chaos last night with ire directed at the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and key ally Morgan McSweeney. One minister told The Times: “Morgan is completely off his rocker.”
Another minister said the mood in the party was one of “panic.”
And then in another bombshell, one Labour insider told MailOnline: “The whole thing is a massive f**k you to Keir and Rachel.”
Responding to claims from a minister that this vote “could be the start of the end for Keir”, one Labour MP told Politico: “I would be happy to see a leadership contest, I think perhaps it’s time for change.”
Asked if the vote would be internally treated as a confidence vote in his leadership, Starmer replied: “It’s not a confidence vote. It’s a vote about reforming our welfare system.”
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Mel Stride confirmed to face Angela Rayner at DPMQs later today
Shadow chancellor of the Exchequer Mel Stride will be at the opposition dispatch box today
PA
Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride will face off against Angela Rayner at Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions later today.
It is the second week in a row where Rayner has been at the dispatch box, with Sir Keir Starmer attending the Nato Summit in The Hague today.
You can catch PMQs Live from 12pm today on GB News with Tom Harwood and Gloria De Piero, who will be providing all the analysis and reaction with a top panel of political experts.
Rupert Lowe brands Keir Starmer ‘delusional’ over defence spending
Rupert Lowe has slammed Keir Starmer, accusing the Prime Minister of being “delusional”.
In a post on social media, Starmer said: “In an era of global uncertainty, we can no longer take peace for granted.
“My government is investing in our national security by purchasing 12 new F-35A fighter jets, supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs and opportunities for working people. Secure at home, strong abroad.”
Responding, the Independent MP for Great Yarmouth made a jab related to the “surrender” of the Chagos Islands.
The former Reform UK MP said: “Didn’t you just hand away some of the most strategically important territory on the planet? Delusional at home, humiliated abroad.”
John Healey admits he was not prepared for one shocking reality of top job
Defence Secretary John Healey has revealed that Britain faced 90,000 cyber attacks from hostile states including Russia over the past year, admitting he was shocked by the scale of threats facing the UK.
Speaking on GB News, Healey said: “We are under constant attack.
“I came in as Defence Secretary less than a year ago I have been quite taken aback, I have to say, to find that over the last year we’ve had 90,000 direct attacks on different parts of defence that we can link to hostile states, including Russia.”
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Majority of voters back electoral reform plans to benefit smaller parties
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Green co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian RamsayGetty/PA
New research has found the majority of voters want electoral reform to allow smaller political parties to have more MPs.
A survey by British Social Attitudes found that 60 per cent of adults think the system should be changed to allow smaller parties to get their “fair share” of MPs.
Of that, 55 per cent of Labour supporters, 52 per cent of Conservatives and 56 per cent of Liberal Democrats, as well as 90 per cent of Greens and 78 per cent of Reform voters back changes to the First Past the Post system.
It comes as more than four million votes were cast for Reform at the general election, but it returned only five MPs. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats returned a party record of 71 MPs with 3.5million votes.
Kemi Badenoch backs Keir Starmer’s welfare reform bill
Kemi Badenoch has said she would back Labour’s welfare reform plans but added there were “conditions.”
The Conservative leader wrote on social media: “As a country we are spending, borrowing and taxing too much. We need to save money by reforming welfare.
“That’s why I’ve offered to support the Prime Minister’s bill if he can meet my conditions.
“The PM should be bringing the vote forward, not delaying it to try and save face.”
Wes Streeting says NHS funding will go to ‘communities that need it most’
Health Secretary Wes Streeting will appear in Blackpool later today
PA
Health secretary Wes Streeting said that as part of the Government’s ten-year plan for the NHS, an extra £2.2billion will be put into the poorest areas, which will be “prioritised for investment”.
Streeting is set to make a speech in Blackpool later today, which has the lowest life expectancy in England and one of the highest rates of long-term sickness.
He will say: “The truth is, those in greatest need often receive the worst quality healthcare. It flies in the face of the values the NHS was founded on.
“The circumstances of your birth shouldn’t determine your worth. A core ambition of our ten-year plan will be to restore the promise of the NHS, to provide first-class healthcare for everyone in our country and end the postcode lottery.
“Last year, we sent crack teams of top clinicians to hospitals in parts of the country with the highest waiting lists and levels of economic inactivity.
“It has seen waiting lists in those areas falling twice as fast as the rest of the country, helping get sick Brits back to health and back to work.”