Politics

Starmer Getting Stick from His Own Side Over Benefit Cuts

Published on July 22, 2025

Sir Keir Starmer took a battering from fellow MPs today, including a pointed rebuke from within his own ranks, as criticism over controversial benefit reforms continued to swirl.

Facing the powerful Liaison Committee, the Prime Minister was put on the spot by Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, who didn’t hold back in calling out her party’s recent welfare proposals. Abrahams, who chairs the Work and Pensions Committee, said she was left “ashamed” by the Bill, branding it a betrayal of Labour’s values.

Speaking with clear frustration, she said the Government’s legislation was essentially a cost-cutting measure disguised as reform, hitting the sick and disabled the hardest. “This was poor legislation,” she said. “It was designed to save money for the Treasury by cutting support to sick and disabled people. It was so far removed from Labour values of fairness and social justice, let alone compassion and common decency. I have to say I felt ashamed”, reported the Express.

Starmer, trying to steady the ship after a recent rebellion by backbenchers, responded cautiously. He acknowledged the distress caused by the proposed changes before the Government’s partial U-turn. “Well, it’s very important that they feel secure and supported,” he said. “That is at the heart of what we are doing in the changes we are making to welfare and related areas.”

Earlier this month, the reforms sparked a significant rebellion from within Labour ranks, forcing the leadership to scale back key parts of the plan to avoid a defeat in the Commons. But the damage to party unity was already done, and today’s grilling made it clear the issue hasn’t gone away.

Trying to reframe the discussion, Starmer pointed to broader systemic problems, particularly youth unemployment. “I think the fact that nearly one million young people are out of work, not earning or learning, is a huge challenge to our country,” he said. “None of us should be accepting of a system that operates like that. It is broken, it needs to be mended.”

Still, Abrahams’ comments cut through the noise, highlighting the deep discomfort many in the party feel about policies they see as abandoning Labour’s core principles. For a party that campaigned on fairness and compassion, the row over benefit cuts has become a flashpoint for wider frustrations about the direction under Starmer’s leadership.

The Liaison Committee session, which brings together senior MPs who chair key Commons committees, focused on poverty and the Government’s efforts to address it. Starmer was also quizzed about his broader vision after a year in Downing Street.

Asked what he hoped Britain would look like by the end of his first term, the Prime Minister said he wanted people to feel “better off,” with a clear improvement in public services and safety.

“I want people to feel better off and there has to be a central focus on living standards,” he said. “I want them to feel – as they will – that the health service is working much better… and I want them to feel safe and secure, both in their immediate neighbourhood and as a country.”

But that longer-term vision was overshadowed by the fallout from the benefits row. Just days ago, Starmer suspended four Labour MPs who had defied the party whip over the reforms in a clear bid to reassert control. Whether that will be enough to hold the party together remains to be seen.

Don’t Miss These: