Starmer braced for fresh row with Labour rebels over benefits cuts

One of Sir Keir Starmer’s key allies has paved the way for a new fight with MPs over benefit cuts and called for “further reform” to Britain’s welfare bill.

Education minister Bridget Phillipson said “further reform of the social security system is needed to get people back to work”, in a move that risks a repeat of last year’s chaotic U-turn that raised questions about the prime minister’s authority.

Last year Sir Keir tried to introduce welfare reforms that would save around £5bn a year but was forced to U-turn on most cuts at the last minute after an angry revolt from Labor backbenchers.

The government was facing a humiliating defeat; More than 120 Labor MPs have signed a rebel bill seeking to kill the welfare bill.

There is now a growing expectation that the government will attempt new reforms in the autumn to reduce the ballooning welfare bill.

To talk Independent After the government this week scrapped the two-child benefit cap, Ms Phillipson insisted the move – expected to lift 450,000 children out of poverty – “shows the Labor government is on the side of working people”, but did not rule out further benefit cuts in the next Budget.

The education secretary said: “Any changes we consider to the budget will be considered and considered by the chancellor at that time.

“And of course we believe there needs to be further reform of the social security system so people can get back to work.”

He added: “That’s why the change we’re introducing to universal credit from this week means people won’t feel like they have to declare they’re unfit for work or sick to get the support they need.

“And changes to the standard allowance of universal credit revolve around promoting work alongside the youth guarantee, which supports businesses to employ long-term unemployed young people.”

Defending the decision to lower the two-child limit in an environment where further cuts to social benefits are widely expected in the next budget, Ms Phillipson said lifting children out of poverty was not only an investment in their future, but also an investment in our country.

He continued: “It is right that we abolish the two-child limit. It is a great moral injustice that so many children have their life chances damaged by the two-child limit over a long period of time.”

“This is an investment in our children, in their future, but it’s also an investment in our country, because we know that so many of our children are being left behind as they grow up in poverty, and that not only harms their life chances, it also harms our economy.

“This is detrimental to our well-being as a nation. This is the right choice to make.”

He described two child benefit caps introduced by the previous Conservative government as a “moral scandal” and a “disgrace”.

“We know that the majority of children growing up in poverty in our country are from working families and bear the brunt of years of hardship… This is a moral scandal. It is a disgrace that hundreds of thousands of children are losing their chances of life because of preventable poverty,” he added.

Ms Phillipson also accused the Reform party of being “determined to push hundreds of thousands of children back into poverty” by promising to reintroduce the cap.

“I think that tells you everything about their priorities,” he said. “However, as a Labor Party government, we support working families.”

Ms Phillipson continued: “We know people are worried about the cost of living at the moment and this will make a really big difference to families. It’s still a difficult time, but more importantly it will provide much-needed support so children can achieve all they can.”

The removal of the cap comes just a month before the country goes to the polls in local elections where Labor is expected to suffer a heavy defeat to Nigel Farage’s Reform.

Asked about critics’ claims that Labor had been too slow to implement the change it promised at the last general election, the education secretary said: “I understand the frustrations people feel. “Their communities have suffered for years under the influence of successive Tory governments and the damage wrought by austerity.

“And it takes time to undo all of that and deliver the positive change that people want to see.”

He added: “I am proud of all the action we have taken so far, including removing the two-child limit and expanding free school meals, a huge increase in childcare and early years support for families.

“And this goes hand in hand with all the other measures we are taking to improve the NHS, to shorten waiting lists, to ensure people can see a GP if they need to.

“This is all happening because of a Labor government and most of the changes we make are opposed by Reformation and opposed by the Conservatives who will set our country back.”