Sir Keir Starmer has warned Labour rebels that he will not budge any further on plans to slash disability benefits.
With dozens of backbenchers threatening a revolt over plans to cut personal independence payments (PIP) and other benefits, the prime minister is facing his next big test with his own party.
Already, there had been rumblings about economic policy during the run-up to the spending review, with a number of MPs supportive of a proposal by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner to impose eight new wealth taxes on the super-rich and corporations instead of making cuts.
The prime minister has already had to U-turn on cutting winter fuel payments to millions of pensioners at a cost of £1.25bn a year, and he will need to find cash to end the two-child benefit cap after hinting he was in favour of axing it.
But with the welfare reform legislation being tabled this week and a vote on it expected before the end of this month, Sir Keir was bullish about standing up to rebels.
He said: “Well, we have got to get the reforms through and I have been clear about that from start to finish. The system is not working; it’s not working for those that need support, it’s not working for taxpayers. Everybody agrees it needs reform, we have got to reform it, and that is what we intend to do.”
Asked about a potential rebellion, he responded: “The principles remain the same, those who can work should work. Those who need support into work should have that support into work, which I don’t think they are getting at the moment.
“Those who are never going to be able to work should be properly supported and protected. And that includes not being reassessed and reassessed. So they are the principles, we need to do reform, and we will be getting on with that reform when the bill comes.”
The government has planned to make £5bn in savings from the welfare reforms, but already, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall has tried to water down the proposals to stave off backbench anger.
But the “non-negotiable” protections that she is to include in the welfare reform bill are understood to include a guarantee that those who will no longer qualify for PIP under the changed criteria will still receive the payments for 13 weeks.
Dr Simon Opher, a GP and the MP for Stroud, has already told the BBC he is “going to rebel” in a vote and “a number of colleagues are in the same situation”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday, Dr Opher said: “It’s a slight delay in the disability cuts – it’s 13 weeks rather than four weeks – so it’s something, but not very much really.
“And it doesn’t change the basic fact that they’re … planning to cut disability payments to quite a lot of people, really.
“So not terribly impressed, but it’s something at least.”
Why it is Groundhog Day for Starmer with Trump at the G7
Starmer in desperate bid to finalise trade deal with Trump as tariff deadline looms
More than 50 Labour MPs demand delay to Friday’s final Commons assisted dying vote
Canada agrees to ratify Britain’s accession to major trans-Pacific trade pact
Starmer resists recognising Palestinian state as unions’ demand deepens Labour split
Fewer than half of young men believe abortion should be legal, poll finds
