Quarter of Scottish Labour MPs join welfare rebellion

More than a quarter of Scottish Labour MPs have joined a rebellion against UK government's controversial welfare reforms.

Ten of the party's 37 parliamentarians, including the chair of the Scottish affairs committee, have signed an amendment that would potentially allow them to block controversial changes to the benefits system.

They are part of a group of more than 100 Labour MPs rebelling against Sir Keir Starmer's government.

The prime minister told reporters the welfare system was "unsustainable" and said he intended to "press ahead" with reforms.

The government's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill aims to save £5bn a year by cutting disability and sickness-related benefits.

It includes proposals to make it harder for disabled people with less severe conditions to claim personal independence payment (PIP).

The bill has been heavily criticised by some Labour MPs, while the Scottish government warned it would be "devastating" for disabled people.

More than 120 Labour MPs have signed an amendment that would give them an opportunity to vote on a proposal to reject the welfare reform bill in its entirety.

The amendment said the reforms are expected to push people into relative poverty and expressed concerns about a lack of consultation and an inadequate impact assessment.

The Scottish signatories include the chair of the Scottish affairs committee, Glasgow West MP Patricia Ferguson, and Brian Leishman, who has been outspoken critic of the government over benefits reform, cuts to winter fuel payments and the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery in his Alloa and Grangemouth constituency.

Scottish Labour MPs Elaine Stewart (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock), Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith), Scott Arthur (Edinburgh South West), Euan Stainbank (Falkirk), Lillian Jones (Kilmarnock and Loudoun), Richard Baker (Glenrothes and Mid Fife), Kirsten Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) and Maureen Burke (Glasgow North East) have also joined the rebellion.

Leishman told BBC Scotland News the "horrific" welfare proposals " are against everything that the party should stand for".

He added: "What we need to do is build a caring a compassionate society and of course people that can work should work, that's natural. However, to think that disabled people and people that just cannot work should work, that is a ridiculously cruel notion."

In a statement, Gilbert said there was a "real risk that disabled people and children would be left worse off" as a result of the bill.

Burke said she understood the need to fix the UK's "broken social security system which has seen an unsustainable rise in claimants".

She added: "However, I cannot in good conscious vote for this bill which I believe will push people further into hardship."

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said previously that the UK government was right to reform the welfare system but said any changes had to be "fair".

The UK government has warned that spending on health and disability benefits is forecast to reach £70bn a year by 2030.

According to the Labour administration's own impact assessment, its reforms could push an extra 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into relative poverty.

Ministers say that analysis does not consider the government's plans to spend £1bn on helping the long-term sick and disabled back into work, or its efforts to reduce poverty.

The vote on the bill is scheduled to take place next Tuesday.

If it passes, the government is aiming to introduce the welfare reforms by November 2026. No-one will lose out on benefits payments until that happens.

PIP is being phased out in Scotland and replaced by the devolved Adult Disability Payment. However, any cut to spending on PIP by the Treasury would have a knock-on effect on the Scottish government's budget.

Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden said ministers were "happy to talk" to MPs with concerns, but defended the bill as "a really important package of benefit reform".

He told BBC Breakfast that the number of people on long-term sickness and disability benefits was set to double in the coming years.

"That is not something the government thinks it is right to sit back and be relaxed about," McFadden added.

The government has a working majority of 165 in the Commons, meaning that 83 Labour MPs would need to oppose the bill to force a parliamentary defeat.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn called on Labour ministers to withdraw the bill.

He said: "This isn't about reforming the welfare system, this isn't about getting people back into work, this is simply about taking money away from the most vulnerable, disabled people in society.

"On a point of principle we cannot, and will not, support this. And I'm just very glad that Labour MPs appear to be seeing common sense in this regard."

There's a sense of intrigue at Westminster that's reminiscent of the Boris Johnson years – with talk of rebellions and government defeats.

The Scottish contingent of Labour MPs is adding to the prime minister's woes.

More than a quarter of the Scottish parliamentary party have joined the attempt to block the bill.

The scale of the Scottish rebellion has been a little surprising, adding to the overall total.

The Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman has been a government critic over the past year - and in particular has mounted a passionate campaign against these changes.

But now he's not alone.

The Scottish Affairs committee chairwoman Patricia Ferguson, who represents Glasgow West, may be an unlikely rebel – more like Labour royalty being a former Holyrood minister and a deputy presiding officer.

But she's not reliant on any government patronage and is sticking her head above the Westminster parapet with nine other committee chairs.

The changes are so controversial it's moved other lesser-known names to protest too.

Frustratingly for a journalist, many of the MPs want to keep this argument "in the family".

But their names are on the amendment and it provides the SNP with ammunition as they seek to highlight divisions in Labour ahead of the Holyrood election.

The vast majority, 28 Scottish MPs, remain loyal but the split with their party colleagues is causing friction.

Government ministers have been sent to tour MPs' tearooms.

However, concessions don't seem to be on offer and the rebellious Scottish MPs – and the wider revolt - want to take this to the wire.