**Growing Labour Backbench Revolt Puts Welfare Reforms at Risk**
A significant group of Labour MPs is openly opposing the UK Government’s latest welfare reform proposals, raising the prospect of a major setback to the policy in the House of Commons. Over 100 Labour lawmakers, including three representatives from Wales, have formally endorsed an amendment which aims to block the controversial reforms during a critical vote scheduled for 1 July.
The challenge comes via a “reasoned amendment”, a parliamentary mechanism that allows MPs to register their objection to a bill in a formal manner. Should Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle choose to select the amendment for debate, and should it then be adopted by a Commons majority, the bill in question would be effectively halted at its current stage and prevented from progressing further.
This development has created palpable tension within party ranks, as the number of Labour signatories – currently standing at 108 – could be enough to jeopardise Sir Keir Starmer’s majority on this issue. The outcome may also depend on whether opposition parties, particularly the Conservatives, choose to lend their support to the Labour rebels, though the Tories’ stance remains ambiguous.
Among those Welsh MPs backing the amendment are Henry Tufnell (Mid and South Pembrokeshire), Steve Witherden (Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr), and Ruth Jones (Newport West), the latter also serving as chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. In total, ten Labour chairs from various Commons committees have added their signatures, a clear indication that dissent over the welfare reforms is not confined to Labour’s backbenches alone, but extends into its leadership structure on parliamentary scrutiny.
The text of the amendment, tabled for inclusion in Tuesday’s official order paper, concedes the necessity of reforming the social security system. However, it strongly criticises the government for failing to address the potentially severe consequences of the legislation, as their own impact assessments suggest that a quarter of a million people—including 50,000 children—could be pushed into poverty if these reforms are enacted.
Critically, the rebels argue that there has been no formal consultation with disabled people likely to be affected by the proposed changes. They also highlight that an official analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility, focused on employment implications of the reforms, will not be made public until the autumn—after MPs are expected to cast decisive votes.
Debbie Abrahams, chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee and a prominent signatory, said: “We’re being asked to back reforms before any proper consultation with those affected and in the absence of complete impact assessments. The government is also yet to allow time for related key policies—like extra NHS investment and tailored work coaching—to take effect. We urge ministers to pause and reconsider.”
If enacted as planned, the reforms would see ministers tightening eligibility criteria for personal independence payment (PIP)—a crucial disability benefit in England—as well as restricting entitlements for people claiming sickness-related components of Universal Credit. The government has maintained that such measures could potentially save up to £5 billion annually.
Yet, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden warned on Tuesday that successfully blocking the bill at this early juncture would constitute a “very serious thing”. He also underlined Labour’s view that the present trajectory of welfare spending is unsustainable, arguing that each year the equivalent of another “city the size of Leicester” joins the welfare rolls.
On the Conservative side, the party’s shadow foreign secretary, Dame Priti Patel, would not definitively confirm whether Tories would join the Labour rebellion when pressed during a media interview. She reiterated the party’s general support for “the fundamental principle of welfare reform”, stating that such changes were necessary for the country’s economic health.
In a sign of the mounting unease across the parliamentary Labour Party, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall spent Monday evening in direct talks with backbenchers to discuss the risks and rationale behind the proposed welfare reforms.
As the showdown approaches in the Commons, both government supporters and opponents await Speaker Hoyle’s decision on whether the amendment will be selected—an outcome that could dramatically shape the future direction of welfare policy in the UK. The unfolding situation speaks to deep divides, not only within parties but also within the broader national debate on how best to balance welfare support and fiscal sustainability.