Submitted by daniel on Thu, 08/05/2025 - 08:00 Picture Image Description ‘Cuts don’t create jobs, they just cause more hardship’ says a letter signed by dozens ofMPs from the right as well as the left of the Labour Party, objecting to proposed cuts in disability benefits Croydon’s three Labour MPs today once again shunned an opportunity to put the interests of their constituents ahead of their own parliamentary careers, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks to be facing the biggest backbench revolt of his government so far. More than 40 Labour MPs signed a letter which warns Starmer that the planned cuts to disability benefits are “impossible to support”. The letter called for a pause and change in direction before a Commons vote due next month. The letter, according to the Grauniad, was signed by MPs from the July 2024 intake as well as Commons veterans and “from the left and right of the party”. But there’s no Croydon MPs among the list of signatories. “There has already been widespread concern among a number of Labour MPs about proposed changes including a significant tightening of eligibility for personal independent payments (PIPs), saving about £5billion annually,” the newspaper reports. “It would also involve cuts or freezes to incapacity benefits for people who apply for universal credit but are judged unfit to work.” Among those who signed the letter are Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, as well as Peter Lamb, a former staffer at Croydon-based The Campaign Company, now MP for Crawley, , as well as Diane Abbott and John McDonnell, Clive Lewis, Stella Creasy, Barry Gardiner, Ian Lavery, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Rachael Maskell. The names of environment secretary Steve Reed OBE, MP for Streatham and Croydon North, industry minister Sarah Jones (Croydon West) and Natasha Irons (Croydon East) are conspicuous by their absence. Downing Street suspended seven MPs from the Labour whip shortly after last year’s General Election after they voted in favour of a Scottish National Party amendment to scrap the two-child benefit limit. This latest backbench revolt, coming a week after Labour’s wretched performance in the English local elections, has the potential to be an even bigger test of Starmer’s leadership. The MPs’ letter says: “The Government’s Green Paper on welfare reform has caused a huge amount of anxiety and concern among disabled people and their families. The planned cuts of more than £7billion represent the biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne ushered in the years of austerity and over 3million of our poorest and most disadvantaged will be affected. “Whilst the government may have correctly diagnosed the problem of a broken benefits system and a lack of job opportunities for those who are able to work, they have come up with the wrong medicine. Cuts don’t create jobs, they just cause more hardship. “Ministers therefore need to delay any decisions until all the assessments have been published into the impact the cuts will have on employment, health and increased demand for health and social care. This is likely to be in the autumn and only then will MPs be able to vote knowing all the facts. “In the meantime, the much-needed reform of the benefits system needs to begin with a genuine dialogue with disabled people’s organisations to redesign something that is less complex and offers greater support, alongside tackling the barriers that disabled people face when trying to find and maintain employment. We also need to invest in creating job opportunities and ensure the law is robust enough to provide employment protections against discrimination. “Without a change in direction, the Green Paper will be impossible to support.” John McDonnell MP was recently a guest on our podcast, The Andrew Fisher Interview, when he was asked about having the Labour whip withdrawn in the dispute over the two-child benefit cap. It is available to listen for Inside Croydon’s paying subscribers by clicking here Inside Croydon has moved to Bluesky. Click here to join us there for latest updates and insights Check out our archive of podcasts on Spotify, including our monthly news discussion panel show thingy, the Croydon Insider, and The Andrew Fisher Interview The Croydon Advertiser sold an average of just 742 copies per week last year (ABC 2024 audit). 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Our comments policy can be read by clicking here Web Link 40 Labour MPs sign letter against disability cuts – but Croydon’s Reed, Jones a… Inside Croydon