Voices: Has Starmer’s leadership been weakened by Labour’s welfare revolt? Join The Independent Debate

Sir Keir Starmer departs 10 Downing Street to attend Prime Minister’s Questions - (PA)

In a dramatic £1.5bn U-turn, Sir Keir Starmer has caved to pressure from Labour backbenchers and announced major concessions on his planned welfare reforms, seeking to head off a potentially humiliating Commons defeat.

With more than 120 Labour MPs backing a rebellious amendment and tensions mounting over controversial changes to disability and sickness benefits, the prime minister was forced into emergency talks that resulted in key protections for existing claimants.

Under the revised plans, all current recipients of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will remain under the existing system, with new eligibility rules deferred until 2026. Universal Credit claimants will also have their incomes protected, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall confirmed.

The rebellion, focused on fears the reforms could deepen poverty and undermine Labour’s core values, came despite warnings from party leadership that dissenters could face deselection.

While Starmer insisted reform is essential to fix a “broken system” and deliver “Labour values of fairness,” critics said the original proposals risked betraying those very values.

Behind the scenes, discontent with Starmer’s top team – particularly chief of staff Morgan McSweeney –continues to simmer, with calls for a “regime change” inside No 10. The leadership is now hoping the revised proposals will be enough to secure Tuesday’s vote.

In a poll of Independent readers, 49 per cent said they felt the reforms unfairly targeted vulnerable people. They warned that the cuts would “break people,” leave carers “destitute,” and impose a human cost many feel is being ignored.

Meanwhile, 28 per cent said they agreed with Starmer’s reforms, and another 23 per cent backed welfare reform in principle, though not the initial proposals.

We want to hear from you. Do you think Starmer’s leadership has been weakened by this welfare rebellion? Or is he showing the kind of resolve required to govern?

Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll above – we’ll feature the most compelling responses in the coming days.

All you have to do is sign up and register your details, then you can take part in the debate. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.