British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sharply scaled back planned welfare cuts yesterday to quell a rebellion by legislators in his governing Labour Party, the latest U-turn to dent his authority just a year after winning power.
Planned changes to make it tougher to collect some disability and sickness benefits would now apply only to new applicants, while the millions of people who already rely on the benefits will no longer be affected, the government said.
The reforms had sought to shave five billion pounds ($7bn) per year off Britain’s rapidly rising welfare bill.
However, more than 100 MPs from the Labour Party, which founded the state-run National Health Service and sees itself as the protector of the welfare state built after the Second World War, had publicly opposed the cuts.
The revolt had meant Starmer faced a potential defeat in a vote on the changes in parliament next week – a year after he won a landslide majority in a national election.
Starmer said there was no other option to pressing ahead with reform of the welfare system “because it doesn’t work and it traps people”, but after listening to MPs, “getting that package adjusted ... is the right thing to do”.
“We’ve now arrived at a package that delivers on the principles, with some adjustments, and that’s the right reform, and I’m really pleased now that we’re able to take this forward.”
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