A TENTH Scottish Labour MP has signed their name on an amendment which opposes the UK Government’s proposed changes to disability benefits, heaping pressure on Anas Sarwar to U-turn on defending the plans.
More than 100 Labour MPs’ signatures have appeared on a reasoned amendment explaining why they cannot support the Labour Government’s Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which would cut back disability benefit payments by around £5 billion per year.
If passed, which it could with support from opposition parties, the amendment would block the bill from progressing to its second reading when it returns to the Commons on July 1 and would hand Keir Starmer his first major defeat of his time as Prime Minister.
The amendment notes that the UK Government’s “own impact assessment estimates that 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of [the bill], including 50,000 children”.
Nine Scottish Labour MPs were among those who signed the reasoned amendment on Monday evening, with Glasgow North East’s representative, Maureen Burke (below), confirming she has also added her name on Tuesday.
Burke joins the Scottish Labour MPs Patricia Ferguson, Brian Leishman, Tracy Gilbert, Scott Arthur, Richard Baker, Lilian Jones, Elaine Stewart, Kirsteen Sullivan, and Euan Stainbank in signing the amendment.
Scottish Labour leader Sarwar has supported the UK Government's plans to cut welfare.
He previously told The Scotsman: “Even with these changes that are being announced, welfare spending is projected to go up across the UK and go up in Scotland.
“That is not austerity, it is the very opposite of austerity.”
But the changes remain controversial, with The Guardian reporting earlier this week that UK Government officials have admitted privately that framing the cuts in financial terms was a mistake, after initially announcing the cuts would save £5bn.
In a statement announcing that she had signed the amendment, Burke said she came into politics to raise the living standards in the community in which she lived and worked for her entire life in.
The statement read: "This is not an easy decision to take. I understand the need to address Britain's broken social security system which has seen an unsustainable rise in claimants.
"I support the Government's action to help more people into work through £1 billion of targeted investment, the scrapping of the outdated Work Capability Assessment and the introduction of a Right to Try.
"However, I cannot in good conscious vote for this bill which I believe will push people further into hardship.
"I am calling on the Government rethink to ensure that we create a welfare system that is fair for all, financially sustainable and which protects the most vulnerable."
