Keir Starmer is facing rebellion from more than 120 Labour MPs over benefit cuts that target the UK's most vulnerable. Could this be the beginning of the end for his leadership?
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Is Keir Starmer facing a leadership crisis in the Labour Party?
Is, as a result, his time as Prime Minister coming to an end?
We don't know the answer to those questions, of course.
We do know that at least 128, and maybe up to 170, Labour MPs have expressed their dissatisfaction with Labour's policy with regard to benefit cuts.
Those cuts, in particular to personal incapacity payments, are going to hit maybe 800,000 of the most vulnerable people in the UK, costing them on average more than £6,000 each a year and the consequence is that Labour MPs are facing an enormous backlash from their constituencies on the chance, the likelihood even, that these people will end up in complete poverty and will not be able to work to make good the difference precisely because they do have the disabilities for which payment has been made.
Starmer denies this.
Liz Kendall denies this.
Rachel Reeves is demanding that the books be balanced.
But the fact is that the public aren't persuaded and even Labour Party grandees - people like Dame Meg Hillier, Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, Andy Burnham, mayor of Manchester - all of them are saying Labour has got this wrong.
The simple fact is that, of course, it has. Starmer is isolated, and it's showing. Labour came into office saying it would end Tory cruelty, but instead it's imposing benefit cuts to support a policy of fiscal orthodoxy. It's serving the financial markets. It's not serving people, and there was bound to come a point where Labour MPs would say, enough is enough; we've gone so far, we can go no further. And that point has been reached.
Starmer looks to have lost the Labour Party, but let's be clear about this. He hasn't lost a majority, or rather, the Labour Party has not lost a majority, so he can't call an election as a result because the vote that is scheduled to take place next Tuesday is not a confidence issue as defined by the House of Commons, which means that even if Starmer loses, he might have to go as Labour Party leader, but the Labour government doesn't fall.
So in that case, Labour MPs are taking a big risk. They're saying no to Starmer and yes to a new Labour government.
But the question is, who's next for Labour? Is it Angela Rayner, who is the obvious and only real opponent to Starmer's policies inside the cabinet? Or is it someone outside, a real wild card, like Clive Lewis?
I think the one thing we can be sure of, it's not Rachel Reeves, it's not her deputy Darren Jones, and nor is it any of the other nodding heads within the cabinet.
Labour might be looking to radically change its spots. It's the only chance of survival it's got. And changing those spots is essential if the 800,000 people who it has targeted for benefit cuts are to also survive and meet their needs.
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Angela Rayner is the only possible replacement on your list – she was elected by the membership as deputy and cannot be sacked by Keir.
However, she was a traitor in leaving her enthusiastic support of JC- I saw and heard her by his side at the Falmouth rally- but a few days later she went over to Keir.
Could she convince members she did that to keep one lefty in the cabinet? Could she select a new cabinet with Clive Lewis,Richard Burgon, Nadia, Diane, reinstated Zara sultana and Jeremy etc?
Sounds like an impossible dream but odd things happen.
Then the internal rules blocking the left could be reversed and the membership and conference be respected and empowered.
I’d be supporting Clive Lewis if I were still a member.
I support him on PR, and his water renationalisation ideas, etc.
If only people like my MP had not done what they did to Corbyn we would be in a much better situation now. My MP, Luke Akehurst, never says anything in parliament apart from supporting Starmer all the time.
I imagine when/if all those who claim PIP because of neurodiversity have it taken away from them, they will be told to join the forces if they want to earn money.
Has Starmer not broken enough laws to be recalled by his constituents?
I fear not…the law is stacked against constituents
800,000 hit in what capacity? Has Keir established the impact of this vote? Oh ” we are going to be war ready”, should not be comfortable in house, never mind the electorate.
Personally, I would say yes, there is a need to look at PIP and the disability benefit itself. However? How many years have they been in opposition? Have they not looked at the stats and
come up with something more humanistic?
Pretty sure Keir has failed on this and I hope he loses his job!
800,000 will lose their payments, which are vital to their wellbeing, based on those I know on this benefit.
Clive Lewis would be good: he is strong on environmental issues and migrant’s rights and has spoken about the need to address the ramifications of our imperialist past.
I think Starmer would prefer to postpone the vote rather than risk losing next Tuesday. He would have to ride out goading he was “frit” from opposition MPs, but that would seem better than losing a Parliament vote despite holding a huge majority. But either way his Rasputinian Machiavelli Morgan McSweeney, the right winger who advises Starmer- and who orchestrated to downing of Corbyn as leader- will lose if either option transpires, and should fall on his sword.
Article on BBC News — so it must be true 🙂
“Why Starmer faces a political storm over welfare reforms” BBC News (25 June 2025)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0z45d641do
I find it quite admirable that you are sticking at this.
In the end I worry that the party machine will deliver against real people’s interests.
But I want to be wrong. Badly – and I mean really badly.
I don’t know about Labour MPs, but I have had more than enough of Starmer. and Reeves.
I read a quote on here on Monday from Martin Luther King. ‘One has a moral duty to disobey unjust laws’ and I really think we are on the cusp here of that occuring. If those in Labour stand up.
Make no mistake the welfare reform is not welfare at all. Its barbaric cuts to am already punitive, punishing system.
This has Blairs hands all over it. Didnt he say ‘time to think the unthinkable’ about welfare and Frank Field quit?
Starmer
Reeves
Kendall
Streeting
All must go. And that disability minister is deeply chilling person.
They wont stop here.
Gets very interesting if votes from Conservatives MPs (121 of them) get these welfare reforms over the line.
I really can’t see that.
Yvette Cooper is salivating for the post. Heir apparent Wes Streeting recognises the competition. Kendall is beyond toxic.