Ever since ministers began to put the “moral case” for cutting spending on UK benefits, emotions have been running high among Labour MPs.
The argument being made before next week’s welfare green paper – that Labour is “the party of work” and has a duty to reduce welfare costs – has left some furious, and others angry at those who are furious.
At prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Keir Starmer was repeatedly forced to defend this argument. Labour MPs seized the opportunity to underline that disabled people had become “frightened” hearing their party use the “language of tough choices”. Starmer was urged to “provide compassion” to those who cannot work. Jeers after he spoke encapsulated the mood on his benches.
Some within the Labour fold feel as though the direction of the party has changed and is now veering away from rallying behind “workers” and the working class.
Others believe it’s the right time to make these cuts, so the government can prove to voters – particularly those who did not previously back Labour – that the welfare system is fit for purpose.
What unifies them, though, is their anxiety over the public’s reaction to cuts to the welfare budget of up to £6bn, and how they will be required to ease constituents’ frustrations.
This week, Starmer described the benefits system as the “worst of all worlds”, and said the number of people out of work or training was “indefensible and unfair”. The UK bill for health and disability benefits is forecast to hit £70bn a year by 2030.
Ministers had already pledged to cut £3bn over three years and next week are expected to announce that billions more will be axed from the main disability benefit, the personal independence payment (Pip), alongside funding to help those with long-term illness to return to work.
The cuts announcement would be like “having a bomb dropped on my inbox if it’s as negative as the pitch seems to be getting rolled for”, one Labour MP said. “I’m not feeling good about this at all.”
They added: “There will obviously be people who can be supported into work on benefits. But I don’t see how going after people who rely on Pip, and people who should not be compelled to look for work for very obvious reasons, is where the books should be getting balanced.”
Another MP said: “It’s a complete shitshow and isn’t something a Labour government should be doing. People are incredibly scared and nervous and that’s rightly pouring on to us.”
Emails from worried constituents have begun to trickle in, particularly expressing concern about loved ones who could lose out.
One minister stressed the need to reduce the benefits bill – but voiced grave concern over the number of people whose safety net would be severely damaged. Another minister admitted “doomscrolling” on social media to get a sense of the level of anger over the planned cuts.
Some publicly loyal MPs – who are not part of the “usual suspects” on Labour’s left wing – are privately horrified. “There is no moral case,” one said. “The [benefits bill] figures are worrying but the reality is, we’re attacking the worst-off.”
Another MP said: “I’m pissed off. We’re in government and I feel utterly useless. They [No 10] will understand our frustrations, though largely private, when we get a chance to vote.”
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Meanwhile, government insiders have accused the Treasury of seeing the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as an “easy target” to help balance the government’s books.
One argued that Rachel Reeves’s Treasury “always wants more cuts” and failed to see the bigger picture beyond the next three months. They expressed some hope that an argument could be made for cutting pensions instead of benefits.
Some senior MPs are also angry that newer colleagues have gone public with their support for the cuts, including a letter sent to the welfare secretary, Liz Kendall, by 36 MPs from the Get Britain Working Group. While some of those MPs claim the letter has been misconstrued, others say the argument for reform of welfare payments does need to be made.
A veteran MP said: “Anyone who has had their disability benefits since 2019 hasn’t had their cases reassessed. It’s worrying that the DWP wouldn’t have even checked to see if they are still unwell.
“Ultimately, I’m confident that people with extreme health cases won’t be left without a safety net; it’s just not going to happen. Some MPs are getting a bit excited about being seen as a saviour, when what we should be doing is waiting for the green paper to drop and go from there.”
What was clear was that the current plan would “leave a lot of Labour members frustrated and unhappy”, one MP said.
Another described the plans as “chilling”. “It seems like we’re about to kick support from underneath instead of lifting people up,” they said.
