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  • PIP cuts latest: 127 rebel Labour MPs, Tory offer, Starmer unmoving, Timms on TV

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PIP cuts latest: 127 rebel Labour MPs, Tory offer, Starmer unmoving, Timms on TV

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Tuesday saw more Labour rebels sign the amendment which aims to kill the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill.

The total number of signatories is now 134, which includes:

  • 127 Labour MPs (including two suspended)
  • 5 DUP MPs
  • 2 independent MPs

There’s a full alphabetical list at the end of this article.

It’s also been suggested that one Labour MP has removed their name from the amendment as whips and ministers pile pressure on rebels to get back into line, though we haven’t identified which MP this might be.  Update:  one name missing from the latest list is Samantha Niblett, the Labour MP for South Derbyshire.

Tory offer to support the bill

Kemi Badenoch offered to give Tory support to the beleaguered bill, but with three conditions:

  • Reduce the cost of welfare more than this bill does
  • Get more people into work
  • Guarantee no new tax rises in the Autumn

Labour rejected the offer in what appeared to be an ugly and unprincipled episode of bartering with the lives of disabled claimants.

London mayor backs rebels

London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has called on the government to drop the bill until a proper system of support has been put in place, arguing: 

“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. What we can’t do is take away the vital safety net that so many vulnerable and disabled Londoners rely upon.”

Starmer unmoving

Keir Starmer is refusing to give ground to the Labour rebels.  He told reporters yesterday “We’re pressing on with a vote on this because we need to bring about reform.”

Elsewhere, there are rumours he is considering postponing next Tuesday's vote in order to gain time to win rebels round.

Timms to face work and pensions committee

Stephen Timms, the DWP disability minister currently working on rewriting the PIP eligibility criteria, is to face questioning by the commons work and pensions committee from 9.43am today.  You can watch him on parliament tv

Full alphabetical list of the MPs who have signed the amendment

Abbott, Ms Diane

Abrahams, Debbie

Al-Hassan, Sadik

Ali, Tahir

Allin-Khan, Dr Rosena

Arthur, Dr Scott

Baker, Richard

Bance, Antonia

Barker, Paula

Barron, Lee

Beales, Danny

Beavers, Lorraine

Begum, Apsana

Betts, Mr Clive

Billington, Ms Polly

Bishop, Matt

Blake, Olivia

Brash, Mr Jonathan

Burgon, Richard

Burke, Maureen

Butler, Dawn

Byrne, Ian

Cadbury, Ruth

Campbell, Mr Gregory  (DUP)

Coleman, Ben

Collinge, Lizzi

Cooper, Andrew

Cooper, Dr Beccy

Craft, Jen

Creasy, Ms Stella

Davies, Paul

De Cordova, Marsha

Dean, Josh

Dhesi, Mr Tanmanjeet Singh

Dixon, Anna

Duffield, Rosie (Independent)

Duncan-Jordan, Neil

Easton,  Alex (Independent NI)

Eastwood, Colum

Eastwood, Sorcha

Eccles, Cat

Edwards, Lauren

Efford, Clive

Ellis, Maya

Entwistle, Kirith

Eshalomi, Florence

Evans, Chris

Fenton-Glynn, Josh

Ferguson, Patricia

Foster, Mr Paul

Foxcroft, Vicky

Francis, Daniel

Furniss, Gill

Gardner, Dr Allison

Gilbert, Tracy

Gwynne,  Andrew (Labour suspended)

Hack, Amanda

Haigh, Louise

Hall, Sarah

Hamilton, Fabian

Hamilton, Paulette

Hanna, Claire

Hayes, Helen

Hillier, Dame Meg

Hinchliff, Chris

Hume, Alison

Hurley, Patrick

Hussain, Imran

Jermy, Terry

Jogee, Adam

Johnson, Kim

Jones, Lillian

Jones, Ruth

Kelly Foy, Mary

Khan, Afzal

Lamb, Peter

Lavery, Ian

Leishman, Brian

Lewell, Emma

Lewis, Clive

Lockhart, Carla (DUP)

Long Bailey, Rebecca

Maskell, Rachael

McDonald, Andy

McDonnell, John  (Labour suspended)

McKenna, Kevin

Midgley, Anneliese

Mishra, Navendu

Mohamed, Abtisam

Morris, Grahame

Mullane, Margaret

Myer, Luke

Naish, James

Naismith, Connor

Newbury, Josh

Nichols, Charlotte

Onn, Melanie

Opher, Dr Simon

Osamor, Kate

Osborne, Kate

Owen, Sarah

Paffey, Darren

Pitcher, Lee

Platt, Jo

Quigley, Mr Richard

Qureshi, Yasmin

Ranger, Andrew

Rhodes, Martin

Ribeiro-Addy, Bell

Riddell-Carpenter, Jenny

Rimmer, Ms Marie

Robertson, Dave

Robinson, Gavin (DUP)

Rushworth, Sam

Shah, Naz

Shannon, Jim (DUP)

Smith, Cat

Sobel, Alex

Stainbank, Euan

Stewart, Elaine

Sullivan, Kirsteen

Swann, Robin

Trickett, Jon

Tufnell, Henry

Turner, Laurence

Vaughan, Tony

Webb, Chris

Western, Matt

Whittome, Nadia

Williams, David

Wilson,  Sammy (DUP)

Witherden, Steve

Yang, Yuan

Yasin, Mohammad

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    GLB
    · 36 minutes ago
    How the hell is three months a lifeline?

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    GLB
    · 40 minutes ago
    https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/dwp-instantly-rejects-pip-applicants-10288991

    This is how it will be done slowly 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Manny
    · 1 hours ago
    Just saw something on X that there could be some compromise of creating a 3pt added to claiming descriptors ,would still stop a lot of people from claiming, but would reduce those potentially losing PIP by 50%.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 24 minutes ago
      @Manny It's also worth adding that even if this proposal turns out to be real rather than just a rumour, it would do absolutely nothing for those of us who get LCWRA but not PIP and therefore stand to lose UC Health if it becomes dependent on a PIP-type assessment. We would still be thrown to the wolves, so it would be outrageous if they managed to get the bill through on the back of a concession like this.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Gingin
      · 46 minutes ago
      @Manny I don’t like the sound of that, it would still be devastating for so many!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Dez
      · 50 minutes ago
      @Manny Unless they're going to up the point scoring on the questions related to incontinence, washing and unable to eat, this is a pretty useless compromise. There's probably only one or two questions you can score a 3 on? 

      They really need to up the points on the 2 point descriptors. It's ridiculous that needing help from somebody else (so a carer you have to pay for or somebody who needs Carer's Allowance) comes with the same amount of points as using an aid or an appliance. 

      Aid or appliance should still score you a 2. Help from another person should absolutely score you a 3 or 4, regardless of whether their assistance just consists of prompting or not.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 55 minutes ago
      @Manny I would think that even a 3pt category would still mean hundreds of thousands of people would lose out and be plunged into poverty. As you say, "would still stop a lot of people from claiming, but would reduce those potentially losing PIP by 50%." If so, the other 50% still get clobbered and that's still an awful lot of people, so I can't see that would be enough to save them.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jayne
      · 58 minutes ago
      @Manny They should leave it as it is and go by evidence they should make a seperate assessment for mental health and physical disabilities too which would make it easier to assess on people’s individual needs as the forms are geared more towards physical ailments
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    jeff
    · 1 hours ago
    a list of the labour MPs not on this list and who are supporting would be helpful?  then all those in their constituency can flood local Facebooks groups with the names and share their utter disgust ! as lets be frank, its digusting. also disgusting the amount of time Starmer and his ilks have let vulnerable people worry! they really do not give a toss. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Gingin
      · 40 minutes ago
      @jeff Maybe the pressure would be helpful, but equally I’m aware that just because they didn’t sign the amendment doesn’t mean they support the cuts - I’ve heard there are opponents who didn’t sign…

      I’m not sure what the best thing to do is apart from we do need to keep emailing MPs, whether they’ve declared for or against, because it’s guaranteed they’ll be hearing plenty from people who are all for the cuts. And if they’re opposed they need to clearly know we appreciate it. They need to know we don’t want them to change their minds. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Anniesmum
    · 1 hours ago
    Would it actually be better for us then If they did vote on the bill instead of pulling it? 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Neil Cook
      · 44 minutes ago
      @Anniesmum Hopefully they'll lose spectacularly 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Dez
      · 1 hours ago
      @Anniesmum I suspect it getting voted down would be far more damaging to Starmer and especially to Kendall. There's talk that her job is on the line since all of this is all her scheme and if it fails to get through Parliament, she could be looking at being taken for walkies behind the shed. After all, there needs to be a scapegoat to take the fall for these things.

      Hope Timms goes along with her, personally. 

      Pulling the bill would at least give them some headroom to quell a rebellion and get some semblance of it through but as to what semblance, I have no idea. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    SevenBees
    · 1 hours ago
    Anyone from a position of authority should not be a prime minister except in war times. Starmer used to give orders according to law and it does not go this way in politics. I have noticed that when he suspended Jeremy Corbyn and the other mps who voted to lift two child benefits cap. Fortunately, a lot of MPs are feeling the same nowadays. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Dods
    · 2 hours ago
    I wouldn’t say Timms is “demonic”, that’s kinda giving him too much credit as an autonomous being. He’s more like the ineffectual, bumbling non-entity you wheel out to rehearse the party line in vague terms because you know that party line is going to collapse in a few days yet have to appear steadfast. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    clearwater
    · 2 hours ago
    That Untrustworthy Toad...........   Stephen Timms states 


    frankly i cant watch more BS drivel. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Dez
      · 1 hours ago
      @clearwater I really, really want to like Debbie Abrahams but God, does she really have to talk to somebody who has spouted nothing but lies and conjecture about people on benefits all year like she's a guidance counsellor talking to a 5-year-old? I know this is probably just how she feels she can get more answers but Debbie - honey - he's not going to tell you any different from what he told you in February before the Green Paper dropped. Why assume any different now?

      I mean, Timms's demeanour speaks for itself here. When he was being confronted by other MPs who - quite rightfully - tore into him, he got super defensive and pretty much fled the room but here? He's practically walking on air because he's being enabled and allowed to spout the same lies over and over. 

      It goes pretty much goes like what I've stated in earlier comments:

      Work and Pensions Committee: We have concerns about your proposals to help disabled people into work.
      Timms: spouts the classic line about how the current system isn't working and is letting down disabled people and they just don't know what is good for them - dammit!
      Work and Pensions Committee: OK, that's very nice, Stephen. See you back here in the autumn where we'll express the same concerns and we can expect the exact same line from you.

      Just what an absolute waste of time. If you're not going to challenge him or any of his superiors on anything - namely how PIP is not an out of work benefit (yes, I'm not letting that go) - then you're absolutely doing more harm than good. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Manny
    · 2 hours ago
    Wow! ,If thos goes through with the help of the Tories,this will be the death Knell for the LP .
    And they'll both have blood on their hands,so they'll protect each other.
    Hopefully they'll be a breakthrough over the weekend 🙏, and they'll give some leeway, maybe with some delay and impact assessment. 
    But I ain't hold my breath.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Lisa
    · 3 hours ago
    Not surprised my MP for Barking and MP for Dagenham arent on there. They're absolutely Starmerites. We have some of the highest poverty rates in the UK in this borough. Taking away people's LCWRA part of UC if they dont get enhanced care rate is absolutely barbaric.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Gingin
    · 3 hours ago
    ITV reports Starmer’s answer to a Mail journalist’s question and it is quite hilarious! The opposing MPs are apparently just ‘noises off’ - the man knows how to charm and win people over, doesn’t he? 🤣 I think he’s finished, even if the end drags on a bit.

    'Is it tough going? Are there plenty of noises off? Yes, of course - there always are'

    The PM insists Labour is a 'united front' on the proposed welfare reforms, despite over 120 backbenchers backing a move to block the plans

    Starmer says he's 'comfortable reading the room    '

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      SevenBees
      · 1 hours ago
      @Gingin Starmer is suitable to be a home secretary in respect of his qualifications and work experience. He is not a politician and he never been. So you are absolutely right and I totally agree with you.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Marc
    · 3 hours ago
    The Guardian : Starmer suggests welfare bill revolt just 'noises off' as he rejects claim row shows he is bad at politics


    He's going completely doolally 
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      Neil Cook
      · 42 minutes ago
      @Marc More like well and truly gone off the deep end 
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      D.Head
      · 47 minutes ago
      @Marc the arrogance of the "man" is shocking. He also says  in the same article about how labour have a big majority to push what they like through basically. As we knew all along he thinks because they have a large majority he can do as he likes. which he can't as clearly demonstrated by the rebellion. deluded
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    John
    · 3 hours ago
    On conditionality Timms said UC health recipients will only be required to engage in support conversations and some would be exempt from that. As the government to start with will focus on those on UC health who want help into work. But the government believes conditionality is appropriate for the UC health group and will be looking at increasing conditionality on UC health recipients in the future. At least if not enough people take up the offers of help. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 1 hours ago
      @John
      That's just an extension of their own demented logic. Current UC LCWRA claimants get LCWRA because we've been through the WCA and been found unfit for work, despite the WCA being notoriously harsh and loaded against the claimant, hence the lack of conditionality. But if UC Health no longer depends on incapacity for work, then that opens up the application of conditionality. Of course, conditionality has been shown to be totally counterproductive, but people like Timms don't care about that. 

      These people are fanatics. There can be no compromise with such people, they have to be fought as hard as possible.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Yorkie Bard
    · 3 hours ago
    So - It's behind a paywall. 

    What you can see is a picture of mint cake and she's gone incognito!
    It really is worth a look.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Hilde
    · 3 hours ago
    I really "hope" there's a new Labour party assembling itself somewhere in the wings. People with credibility and experience, and who will have compassion and socialistic views at the heart of it. Because we sure are going to need it in four years time..
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    James
    · 3 hours ago
    Source for GDP of UK is  


    So 4.1% or 104.14bn to be spent on defence next year up from 2.3% and yet 5.5% on Welfare is unstainable ? 

    So how is defence sustainable whereas Welfare is not ? The UK should not be buying US based aircrafts and submarines to help US workers but should be helping UK Citizens live a better standard of life. 

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    James
    · 3 hours ago
    Starmer just promised 4.1% of GDP on defence at the Nato Summit in the Hague. Using the Gross Domestic Product for the UK for this year at 2.31 trillion that means he is proposing to spend 106bn in defence in 2027
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Dee
    · 4 hours ago
    I thought I'd add how big a situation we are in right now. This is one of those moments that rarely happen in Northern Ireland were all parties have collectively united to agree these cuts are cruel. All NI MPs but Sinn Fein are on that list (we don't get many). They don't have their party identified for some reason. Sinn Fein are applying pressure in other ways just not in parliament as usual. 

    Local news story via pay wall bypass for those interested.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Wayne
    · 4 hours ago
    The fact that people will lose pip and carers allowance because of 4 point rule and everything else is disgusting attack.its ok for government to waste money on HS2 and other crap but disabled must suffer 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Old Mother
      · 2 hours ago
      @Wayne And don’t they waste money. It’s better spent being circulated by many in their own communities than in the hands of a few special interests.  

      Government is fiscally incontinent.  
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Anniesmum
      · 2 hours ago
      @Wayne I completely agree! Then the narrative the government keep peddling around the disabled is disgusting.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    MATT
    · 4 hours ago
    Just seen on BBC news, Rayner (standing in for Starmer) has stated the vote will go ahead next week, although if the numbers keep on going up I think there may be a very late change. It's still Wednesday)
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Dee
      · 3 hours ago
      @MATT They will repeat that like a broken record until something finally gives when they realise it isn't going to work. 

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