Labour MPs are being summoned to No10 this week to discuss the plans amid fears of a rebellion.One backbencher said there are ‘lots and lots of concerned MPs, in no way just the usual suspects’
Amol Rajan quizzes Labour minister on BBC Today
A top Labour minister has been grilled over billions of pounds of planned cuts to disability benefits amid escalating anger among MPs.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle declined to be drawn on the changes – expected to be set out next week by the Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall.
It has been reported the government is seeking to cut £5billion from PIP – a benefit that helps people with extra living and mobility costs linked to their disability. The government may also freeze the support next year so it does rise in line with inflation.
Attempting to ease concerns among anxious Labour MPs, Mr Kyle said today: “We care deeply about the safety net – the support people in real need need to get. We care really deeply about that.”
But after decisions to slash pensioners’ winter fuel payments last summer, reducing the overseas aid budget to pay for an increase in defence spending, and imminent cuts to disability benefits, he was told: “None of this was in your manifesto”.
BBC Radio 4’s Today programme presenter Amol Rajan said: “It’s interesting the choices Keir Starmer has made. What we’ve seen in practice is cuts to winter fuel payments, a slashing of international aid, which will have very real consequences in many parts of the world, for some very, very poor and vulnerable people.
“And probably we’re going to get cuts to disability and sickness benefits too – none of this was in your manifesto. Is that the agenda you joined the Labour Party to advance?”
But Mr Kyle responded: “What we’ve seen is a government that is gripping the really difficult, systemic issues that we are gripping after 14 years of decline and failure. That means that on some of these issues we could have done what the Tories did and just kick it into the long grass – try and hide it. We have grabbed these issues because we know if you fix the foundations we can start building forward”.
It comes after Mr Starmer was quizzed on the issue at PMQs on Wednesday – but the PM warned the current welfare system is “indefensible”.
The PM told MPs: “I come from a family that dealt with disability through my mother and brother over many years, so I do understand the concerns that have been raised by him, but we inherited a system which is broken.
“It is indefensible, economically and morally, and we must and we will reform it.” He added: “We will protect those who need protecting. We will also support those who can work back to work. Labour is the party of work. We are also the party of equality and fairness.”
The move has also triggered rare criticism from the TUC, the trade union umbrella body, in a sign of the deep unhappiness in the wider movement.
Mr Nowak said: “A major lesson from the Tory years is that austerity damaged the nation’s health. We must not make the same mistake again. Pushing disabled people into hardship with cuts to support will only make the current challenges worse – and will not win public support.”
He said unions share hopes to improve the nation’s health, but added: “Cutting PIP is not the solution – not least because it enables many disabled people to access work so that they do not have to rely on out of work benefits.”
Labour MPs are being summoned to Downing Street this week to discuss the plans as No10 seeks to head off a rebellion. One backbencher told the Mirror there are “lots and lots of concerned MPs, in no way just the usual suspects.” The MP said there was support for getting people back to work but deep concern over whether the primary goal is spending cuts.
They added: “[There is] absolute fury about the spin that is positioning it as spending cuts first and terrifying disabled people. Ministers working hard to reassure.” A second MP said: “It’s beyond grim.”
