Kill the bill: Who are the five London Labour MPs who tried to block Keir Starmer's welfare reforms?

Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial welfare reform bill passed its first hurdle in the House of Commons after it was approved by 335 to 260 votes.

A number of Labour MPs have voiced their concerns over the legislation in recent weeks and dozens voted against it on Tuesday night.

In total, 44 Labour MPs supported a reasoned amendment which proposed to scrap the Government's plans to overhaul the system.

However, a Government defeat was averted after disability minister Sir Stephen Timms offered a further concession during the Commons debate.

Sir Stephen said the Government had listened to the concerns raised, and changes to personal independence payments (Pip) would not take place until after a review of the benefit had concluded.

York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell's amendment proposed to decline to give the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill a second reading, meaning it would have killed the Bill.

MPs voted 149 to 328, majority 179 to reject Ms Maskell's amendment.

Clapham and Brixton Hill Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy (BBC/PA) (PA Media)

Here is a full list of the Labour rebels who voted in favour of the amendment:

London MPs: Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington), Stella Creasy (Walthamstow), Clive Efford (Eltham and Chislehurst), Margaret Mullane (Dagenham and Rainham), and Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Clapham and Brixton Hill)

Other London MPs: John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington), Apsana Begum (Poplar and Limehouse), both suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party for voting against the two-child benefit cap, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North)

Walthamstow Labour MP Stella Creasy (PA Archive)

Other Labour MPs: Paula Barker (Liverpool Wavertree), Lee Barron (Corby and East Northamptonshire), Lorraine Beavers (Blackpool North and Fleetwood), Olivia Blake (Sheffield Hallam), Richard Burgon (Leeds East), Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby), Irene Campbell (North Ayrshire and Arran), Lizzi Collinge (Morecambe and Lunesdale), , Peter Dowd (Bootle), Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole), Cat Eccles (Stourbridge), Mary Kelly Foy (City of Durham), Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith), Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend), Chris Hinchliff (North East Hertfordshire), Imran Hussain (Bradford East), Terry Jermy (South West Norfolk), Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside), Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington), Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth), Emma Lewell (South Shields), Rebecca Long Bailey (Salford), Rachael Maskell (York Central), Navendu Mishra (Stockport), Grahame Morris (Easington), Simon Opher (Stroud), Kate Osborne (Jarrow and Gateshead East), Richard Quigley (Isle of Wight West),Marie Rimmer (St Helens South and Whiston), Cat Smith (Lancaster and Wyre), Euan Stainbank (Falkirk), Graham Stringer (Blackley and Middleton South), Jon Trickett (Normanton and Hemsworth), Derek Twigg (Widnes and Halewood), Chris Webb (Blackpool South), Nadia Whittome (Nottingham East), Steve Witherden (Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr).Tellers for the Ayes were Labour MPs Clive Lewis (Norwich South) and Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East).

A previous effort to kill the Bill had attracted the support of more than 120 Labour MPs, but was dropped after the first partial U-turn on the legislation last week, which restricted the Pip changes to new claimants from November 2026.

Economists are now warning that tax rises are more likely in the autumn Budget after the welfare retreat, costing £5 billion, and the £1 billion U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts.

Read More

Minister declines to rule out tax rises amid welfare climbdown warning

Tax rises loom within months as Starmer's 'shambolic' welfare reforms 'saved nothing'

Immigration reforms for ‘complete reset’ to be introduced in Parliament