Latest news with #LabourMPs
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The Independent
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Poll of the day: Do you support the assisted dying bill?
The assisted dying bill returns to Parliament today for its final reading amid growing controversy – and a vote that could determine whether the legislation moves forward or falls entirely. A group of Labour MPs dramatically withdrew their support on Thursday night, citing serious concerns about the removal of key safeguards, including the requirement for High Court oversight. They warned that the bill had been 'drastically weakened' and no longer offers enough protection for vulnerable patients. If passed, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would allow people in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for a medically assisted death. Approval would be required from two doctors and a panel including a senior legal figure, a social worker, and a psychiatrist. Campaigners are making a final push on both sides of the debate, and with a narrow majority at stake, every vote counts. MPs have a free vote and are not bound by party lines. Supporters argue that the bill offers dignity and choice to those in need. Meanwhile, opponents argue it opens the door to abuse and erodes trust in end-of-life care. With so much at stake and such deeply personal questions at the heart of this debate, we want to hear from you: do you support the assisted dying bill? Vote in our poll and let us know your thoughts in the .
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ministers to offer olive branch on welfare plans to avert Labour rebellion
Ministers are to offer mutinous Labour MPs an olive branch on the government's welfare plans to help avert a major rebellion in a crucial vote early next month. Liz Kendall, the welfare secretary, wants to reassure angry MPs who have threatened to rebel over fears that sick and disabled people will be hardest hit. The Guardian has been told she will put 'non-negotiable' protections for the most vulnerable benefits recipients on the face of the welfare reform bill when it is published next week, providing additional support to those with the most severe conditions who will never work. But with Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, ruling out a U-turn on disability benefit cuts and government aides insisting there will be no substantial change to the bill, it is unclear whether the tweaks will be enough to prevent a rebellion that could even risk a defeat. Labour MPs are demanding big changes to the proposals first put forward in March in the welfare green paper, including a rethink on eligibility for personal independence payments (Pip) for disabled people and benefits for carers. Kendall's plans to save £5bn a year by overhauling the welfare system, including by cutting Pip, triggered alarm among Labour MPs, with experts warning that up to 1.2 million people with disabilities are expected to lose thousands of pounds a year. With an extra 250,000 people falling into relative poverty by 2029-30, according to the government's own impact assessment, ministers are braced for their biggest rebellion yet, with as many as 170 MPs saying they could vote against the plans. After a consultation on the biggest shake-up of Britain's welfare system since universal credit was introduced more than a decade ago, and discussions with multiple MPs, Kendall is now offering a series of modifications to help alleviate concerns. Hundreds of thousands of people who will no longer qualify for Pip, which is intended to help with their quality of life and is not connected to employment, will continue to receive payments for 13 weeks, a more generous transition than the four-week period more usually adopted by government. During this time they will receive support for health, care and employment needs. Carer's allowance will be protected throughout this period but will end when Pip is withdrawn. The sickest benefit recipients with less than 12 months to live and those with lifelong, often progressive and incurable conditions will automatically get a higher rate of universal credit and will not have to go through reassessments, which take place on average every three years. The new 'right to work' scheme for those on health and disability benefits, previously announced by Kendall, will be introduced at the same time as the bill so welfare recipients can try to return to work without risking losing their entitlements. Kendall told the Guardian: 'When we set out our reforms we promised to protect those most in need, particularly those who can never work. I know from my 15 years as a constituency MP how important this is. It is something I take seriously and will never compromise on. 'That is why we are putting additional protections on the face of the bill to support the most vulnerable and help people affected by the changes. These protections will be written into law – a clear sign they are non-negotiable.' While Reeves insisted she would not be rethinking her decision on disability benefit cuts on Thursday, despite speculation that the government could soften its stance, she said she was 'taking into account' representations from Labour MPs. Pressed by the BBC on whether she would change her mind, Reeves said: 'No, we're not going to be changing that. It is important that we reform the way the welfare state works so that there is a welfare state there for people. 'We are the only developed country where the number of people in the labour market is lower than it was before Covid, the number of economically inactive people of working age is rising.' But she added: 'We've already announced that we are reviewing the criteria for accessing Pip. Even with these changes, we will substantially be increasing the amount of money we are paying in sickness and disability benefits during the course of this parliament.' Under the changes already announced, claimants would not qualify for Pip unless they score a minimum of four points on a single daily living activity. Government sources have ruled out any further changes to the assessment criteria. Assessments score from 0 to 12 the difficulty that claimants face in a range of living activities such as preparing and eating food, communicating, washing and getting dressed. Just over 370,000 people who claim Pip will lose the payments, while another 430,000 who would have become eligible in the future will not now get it. On average these people will lose £4,500 a year. The government has argued the welfare system needs dramatic reform as 1,000 people a day are newly claiming benefits. Even with the cuts, it will still be spending more on Pip, with an extra 750,000 people receiving payments by the end of this parliament. As part of the measures, the Department for Work and Pensions will spend up to £1bn a year extra on helping people back into jobs. About 170 MPs, including some loyalists, are understood to be preparing to rebel by either voting against the government on changes to eligibility for Pip payments or abstaining. One Labour MP suggested that making small changes to the plans would not be enough to win over sceptics. 'Small tweaks here and there won't be enough. As long as the welfare reforms punish the most vulnerable, they'll face opposition,' they said. A government source suggested the numbers were starting to fall after Kemi Badenoch said the Tories would oppose the plans. 'The idea of voting against the government becomes more difficult for people if it means walking through the lobbies with the Tories,' they said. Labour whips have suggested that the expansion of free school meals last week and indications from senior ministers that they were open to lifting the two-child benefit cap was also helping to reassure concerned MPs.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Labour benefits revolt mounts as legislation to stop handouts spiralling is unveiled TODAY... while poll shows party slipping into THIRD behind Tories
Keir Starmer is braced for a Labour revolt on benefits today as the government publishes legislation designed to stop handouts spiralling. Labour MPs are gearing up for battle with the leadership over the Welfare Reform Bill, which is being introduced in the House of Commons later. The PM has sounded defiance over the plans to curb disability and sickness benefits, insisting there will be no substantive concessions. Instead he has hinted that there could be movement on loosening the two-child benefit cap, after the U-turn on pensioners' winter fuel allowance But there are fears dozens of backbenchers will rebel in crunch votes, with even some ministers said to be on resignation watch. The stakes for Labour have been underlined as a poll showed the party slipping into third place behind Reform and the Tories. Although other surveys have suggested Nigel Farage 's advantage is narrowing, the figures are likely to be seized on by those urging a change in direction. Labour MPs have warned the proposals will 'destroy lives' and are 'impossible to support' The welfare reforms are set to include the tightening of criteria for the main disability benefit in England, personal independence payment (Pip). Ministers also want to cut the sickness related element of universal credit, and delay access to it, so only those aged 22 and over can claim it. The package of reforms is aimed at encouraging more people off sickness benefits and into work, and the Government hopes it can save up to £5billion a year by doing so. That is essential for Rachel Reeves' efforts to balance the books, although the overall benefits bill would still be increasing. However, Labour MPs have warned the proposals will 'destroy lives' and are 'impossible to support'. Sir Keir said he was 'determined' to ensure the reforms go through because he feels the welfare system 'doesn't work for anyone'. 'It doesn't work for those that want to get back to work, and it certainly doesn't work for the taxpayer,' the Prime Minister told Good Morning Britain, saying 'those that need to be protected should be protected'. 'If you need help in support to get into work, the Government should be providing that support and help to get into work,' he said. 'If you do have conditions, disabilities that mean it is impossible for you to work, then you need to be properly protected and supported.' Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall previously warned there are 1,000 new Pip awards every day – 'the equivalent of adding a city the size of Leicester every single year'. In a minor tweak, Ms Kendall has agreed to include 'non-negotiable' protections in the Bill, including a 'transitional' guarantee that those who no longer qualify for Pip will still receive the payments for 13 weeks, rather than just four weeks. The Bill is set to be introduced as the latest benefits data has shown that more than 3.7million people in England and Wales are claiming Pip, with teenagers and young adults making up a growing proportion. The Department for Work and Pensions figures released yesterday showed there were a record 3.74 million people in England and Wales claiming Pip as of April this year. That was up from 3.69million in January and a jump of 200,000 from 3.54million a year earlier. Data for Pip claimants begins in January 2019, when the number stood at 2.05million. Pip is a benefit aimed at helping with extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition. Teenagers and young adults account for a growing proportion of those getting Pip. Some 16.5 per cent of claimants in April this year were aged 16-19, up from 14.6 per cent in April 2019. The 30-44 age group has similarly grown, while the number of 45-59 year-olds has fallen. The figure for 60-74 year-olds has risen slightly over this period, from 29.3% to 30.8 per cent. Downing Street insisted it was 'crucial to say we are committed to the reforms that we've set out'. A No10 spokesman said: 'You've heard that from the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Work and Pensions Secretary, on the principles behind this and the urgent need for this. 'You have the statistics, they show we have the highest level of working age inactivity due to ill health in Western Europe. 'We're the only major economy whose employment rate hasn't recovered since the pandemic.' Pip will remain 'an important non-means-tested benefit for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, regardless of whether they are in or out of work', he said, but added the Government would build a 'system that is fairer' through its reforms. It is thought the restrictions on Pip would slash benefits for about 800,000 people.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Assisted dying: Medical students voice opposition as some MPs urge vote delay
Hundreds of medical students have voiced their opposition to an assisted dying law, as dozens of Labour MPs called for this week's vote on the issue to be delayed. It is currently expected the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will have its third reading on Friday, with MPs voting to either send it through to the House of Lords or to stop it progressing any further. It would be the first vote on the overall Bill to take place since November, when the proposed legislation passed second reading stage by a majority of 55 on a historic day which saw MPs support the principle of assisted dying for England and Wales. But, days ahead of third reading, a group of Labour MPs opposed to the Bill have written to Commons leader Lucy Powell asking for more time to scrutinise a Bill they brand as 'perhaps the most consequential piece of legislation that has appeared before the House in generations'. They added that it 'alters the foundations of our NHS, the relationship between doctor and patient, and it strips power away from Parliament, concentrating it in the hands of future secretaries of state for health'. They also raised concerns that MPs might not have a copy of the final Bill by the time they vote, as some outstanding amendments will still be being considered on Friday morning. The MPs, including Dame Meg Hiller, wrote: 'We implore you as the Leader of the House to allocate more Parliamentary time to the scrutiny of this Bill, the valid concerns that members have about its implementation, and the consequences it could have on vulnerable populations.' Their letter came as medical students sent their own to MPs, citing concerns about the Bill. The student doctors, from universities across the UK, said: 'We do not oppose dignified death – far from it. We oppose a Bill that risks offering death in place of care, that widens health inequalities, that places vulnerable patients in danger, and that reshapes the ethical foundation that our profession is built upon without any clear support. 'As future doctors, we may not yet be the voice of this profession – but we will be. And we are asking to be heard.' But doctor and MP Simon Opher, who backs the Bill, said it is 'no surprise that medical students, like GPs and most other professionals, have a range of opinions on assisted dying'. He referenced one survey he said had been shared with him and showed a majority of medical students supported assisted dying in cases of terminal illness and unbearable suffering. The Bill's sponsor, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, has repeatedly stated that her proposed legislation has been strengthened since it was first introduced last year, insisting it is subject to robust safeguards. As it stands, the Bill would allow terminally-ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. MPs are entitled to have a free vote on the Bill and any amendments, meaning they decide according to their conscience rather than along party lines. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer voted in favour of the Bill last year, but said the Government remains neutral on the issue. Both Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood voted against. Last week, a majority of MPs approve a new clause, tabled by Dame Meg, to ensure medics cannot raise the topic of assisted dying with under-18s. Her separate amendment to prevent health workers from bringing up the issue with adults patients before they have raised it was voted down. A ban on advertising assisted dying should the Bill pass into law was also supported.
Telegraph
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The UK is about to pass Europe's most extreme abortion law
Britain may soon have one of the most extreme abortion regimes in the world. Next week, the Commons will vote on amendments, proposed by Labour MPs Stella Creasy and Tonia Antoniazzi, to the Crime and Policing Bill that seek to decriminalise abortion up to the moment of birth. In Britain, abortion is currently legal until 24 weeks of pregnancy. But for the pro-abortion lobby this isn't enough. A YouGov survey revealed that 70 per cent of MPs think women should not be liable for prison sentences if they have abortions outside current restrictions. Yet this is wildly out of step with public opinion. Just 1 per cent of British people support abortion up to birth. How is such a wildly unpopular opinion on the verge of becoming law? Let's rewind to 2020. The UK was in lockdown. Face-to-face appointments for abortions were suspended. Women were allowed to access over-the-phone appointments with clinicians and have abortion pills sent to them by post. These pills can only be used legally until 10 weeks' gestation. But without an in-person appointment, there is no way of knowing how far along a pregnancy has progressed. And there is no way of preventing women who are well past 10 weeks – and even past the 24-week limit – from claiming, or being coerced into claiming, that they are less than 10 weeks pregnant. Due to the risks, this arrangement was intended to be temporary. But in 2022, pro-abortion MPs hijacked an unrelated Bill to make pills-by-post permanent. Many people – including me – warned that this would lead to an increase in illegal abortions, dangerous late-stage terminations, coercion and undetected abuse. And we were right. In June 2023, Carla Foster was found guilty of aborting her baby eight months into pregnancy. She was given abortion pills after claiming she was only seven weeks pregnant. In December 2024, Stuart Worby was jailed after spiking a woman's drink with fraudulently-obtained abortion pills and ending the life of her unborn child. In just 18 months after pills-by-post was introduced, some estimates suggest that more than 10,000 women had to receive hospital treatment after taking abortion pills at home. These cases only exist because of pills-by-post, a scheme for which abortion providers enthusiastically campaigned. Before 2022, there were just three prosecutions for illegal abortions in 160 years. Yet instead of arguing for a return to face-to-face appointments, the abortion lobby is now capitalising on these prosecutions to convince MPs that women are being wrongly criminalised. The consequences of full decriminalisation will be grim, with inevitable increases in coercion and medical complications. The experience of Victoria, Australia suggests we will see more babies born alive after failed 'DIY' late-term abortions, and a rise in sex-selective abortions. Abortion is a sensitive issue and there is no public consensus on what the legal time limit should be. But in a society where human rights are respected and the vulnerable protected, it is unthinkable that there should be no consequences for ending the life of an unborn, fully-formed human child. Just moments after birth, such an action would incur life in prison. MPs must not allow the unpopular obsession of a handful of activists to change the law. Stand up to the extremists – the public are behind you.
