Some 39 Labour MPs have signalled they will vote against Sir Keir Starmer’s welfare reforms on Tuesday evening in a tense showdown between the prime minister and his backbenchers despite a £2.5bn U-turn that watered down the package last week.
Starmer’s concessions last Thursday led to the withdrawal of a “reasoned amendment” designed to kill the bill — which had the backing of 126 Labour MPs.
But on Monday evening, Labour MPs tabled a second reasoned amendment with the same intention that quickly garnered 39 signatures from Labour MPs, and a handful from members of other parties.
[…]
That total could rise over the day, with expectations Tuesday will be a day of frantic last-ditch lobbying of undecided MPs in Westminster.
Some 83 Labour MPs who would probably need to rebel to defeat the bill if all other parties vote against it, given the government’s working majority of 165. The Conservatives, who have said the measures do not go far enough, have said they will vote against the bill.
Ministers still expect to see the biggest rebellion of Starmer’s premiership, eclipsing the 16 who opposed the planning and infrastructure bill earlier this month.
Tony Blair’s biggest rebellion in his first year involved 47 backbenchers, according to Philip Cowley, politics professor at Queen Mary University.
[…]
Talks are ongoing between government whips and Labour MPs, although further concessions before Tuesday’s vote are unlikely, according to people briefed on the discussions.
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Some 39 Labour MPs have signalled they will vote against Sir Keir Starmer’s welfare reforms on Tuesday evening in a tense showdown between the prime minister and his backbenchers despite a £2.5bn U-turn that watered down the package last week.
Starmer’s concessions last Thursday led to the withdrawal of a “reasoned amendment” designed to kill the bill — which had the backing of 126 Labour MPs.
But on Monday evening, Labour MPs tabled a second reasoned amendment with the same intention that quickly garnered 39 signatures from Labour MPs, and a handful from members of other parties.
[…]
That total could rise over the day, with expectations Tuesday will be a day of frantic last-ditch lobbying of undecided MPs in Westminster.
Some 83 Labour MPs who would probably need to rebel to defeat the bill if all other parties vote against it, given the government’s working majority of 165. The Conservatives, who have said the measures do not go far enough, have said they will vote against the bill.
Ministers still expect to see the biggest rebellion of Starmer’s premiership, eclipsing the 16 who opposed the planning and infrastructure bill earlier this month.
Tony Blair’s biggest rebellion in his first year involved 47 backbenchers, according to Philip Cowley, politics professor at Queen Mary University.
[…]
Talks are ongoing between government whips and Labour MPs, although further concessions before Tuesday’s vote are unlikely, according to people briefed on the discussions.
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