The Latest Breaking News from Stephen Timms

Sir Stephen Timms issued a letter in support of Udaya, which received a £180,000 Home Office fine for employing four illegal workers

INSIDE WESTMINSTER: Despite the humiliating U-turn on cuts to disability benefits, the prime minister has not given up on reducing ballooning social security spending. Ministers believe they have now found a way to proceed – and how to quash any rebellion, says Andrew Grice

Rachael Maskell said pressing ahead with the welfare reform Bill risked leaving ‘such a stain’ on her party.

Original welfare proposals had been part of a package expected to save up to £5 billion a year

The Chancellor warned there would be ‘costs to what happened’ as she faced questions about how she would cover the shortfall left by concessions.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged his Government did not ‘get the process right’.

NEWS ANALYSIS: The debacle over the welfare reforms has stripped Keir Starmer of his authority and left his government damaged. David Maddox tracks how the prime minister lost control

COMMENT: It took the intervention of the deputy prime minister to persuade the prime minister that the game was up – now some Labour MPs are wondering if she’ll replace him, writes John Rentoul

The government’s landmark bill on welfare reform passed by 335 to 260 votes on Tuesday evening, after staving off a major rebellion from Labour MPs. To win over backbench MPs who had opposed the bill, the government made a series of concessions, including a last-minute compromise agreeing that any changes…