GMB’s Susanna Reid confronted Treasury minister Emma Reynolds about people being ‘petrified’ of benefits cuts amid a growing Labour rebellion over welfare reforms
GMB’s Susanna Reid has confronted a Labour minister about people being “petrified” of benefits cuts.
The TV presenter raised a letter sent to the Chief Whip that has been signed by more than 100 Labour MPs warning that they are seriously concerned about the Government’s welfare reforms. Treasury minister Emma Reynolds scrambled to defend the decision amid a growing rebellion over the changes.
Co-presenter Richard Madeley said it wasn’t a “good start” for the Government that it had “only been in power for a few months” and more than 100 MPs were “not just moaning in the corridors and in the lobby rooms, but (were) actually writing a letter. It’s in direct defiance of the Prime Minister”.
Ms Reynolds said she understood this “is a very tricky and sensitive issue” and insisted ministers “will continue to have discussions with colleagues across the Parliamentary Labour Party”, adding: “Labour MPs are an incredibly important part of our efforts to reform.”
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Keir Starmer is facing pressure to change course on his welfare reforms ahead of a key vote on the controversial measures next month. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall outlined £5billion in cuts to welfare including huge changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in March.
In a tense exchange on Good Morning Britain, Susanna asked Ms Reynolds: “There are some people petrified that they’re about to get poorer, and 100 of your own MPs are concerned. How do you respond to that?”
Ms Reynolds said the welfare system “needs reform”, continuing: “We need to make sure that we protect the safety net that is essential for vulnerable people across the country. We are the Labour Party – the party of work, but also dignity for the most vulnerable.
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“So we are reforming the system in a way that ensures that we protect the most vulnerable. The changes to personal independence payments are necessary because we’re seeing far too many young people not in employment, education or training. One in eight young people in that situation. That’s not sustainable. It’s not good for them either.”
Susanna asked whether the Government was “defying your own back benches” and was “going to stick to your guns on PIP”. Ms Reynolds insisted the Government was open to discussions with colleagues, but admitted: “The Government has set out our plans.”
She added: “But what I want to put across is that those people who have lifelong conditions, the deteriorating health conditions, will no longer be reassessed, because it’s completely pointless, which recognises the dignity of those people.
“We’re also introducing a new system of Right to Try, which will enable people who are on benefits to try work and not lose their benefits, should that not work out, because that is a problem that is besieging people. So we’re looking at creating a system that is fairer for everybody and more sustainable in the longer term.”
The private letter signed by more than 100 MPs to the Chief Whip follows a separate letter sent to the Prime Minister from 42 MPs saying the reforms were “impossible to support”. They warned it represented “the biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne ushered in the years of austerity”. It was signed by a number of left-wingers, including Ms Abbott, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Ian Byrne, Ian Lavery and Nadia Whittome.
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