-
A lot of Tories want to oppose universal credit cut, says Keir Starmer

Labour leader highlights Tory divisions before vote on £20-a-week pandemic increase
A number of Conservative MPs would like to join Labour in opposing a cut in universal credit for millions of families, Keir Starmer has said, as he sought to highlight Tory divisions before a parliamentary vote.
Political tensions are rising over the scheduled end to the £20-a-week increase in UC introduced during the first wave of the pandemic, with Conservative backbenchers representing 65 northern seats publicly calling on Boris Johnson to extend the help.
The prime minister has instructed his MPs to abstain on Monday evening in an opposition day motion called by Labour to demand the increase remains in place, with the government calling the vote, which has no legal impact, “a stunt”.
Speaking to ITV’s Lorraine programme on Monday morning, Starmer said the increase was, for many families, “the difference between being being able to pay the gas, electricity and internet bill combined”.
The Labour leader condemned Johnson’s dismissal of the Commons vote, saying the prime minister should join him in going to a food distribution centre in south London on Monday.“These are people who were working just a few months ago, and are now desperate,” Starmer said. “If he’s going to call it a stunt, he should probably come with me to the food distribution centre to see these families this morning, and explain to them why he thinks that what is a lifeline to them is a stunt.
“I actually think, in their heart of hearts, quite a lot of Tory MPs know that cutting this money to people who desperately need it, in the middle of a pandemic, is the wrong thing to do. They know that.”
Starmer said Johnson’s decision to order Tory MPs to abstain, a tactic used previously by the government over opposition day motions to head off any prospect of a rebellion, was “pretty pathetic”. “He’s saying: ‘I don’t want to say yes, and I don’t want to say no. So we’re going to abstain.’ He’s got no view on whether it should stay in place or not.”
Speaking earlier on Monday, Nadhim Zahawi, the minister in charge of the vaccination programme, told Sky News: “It’s unfortunate that Labour has chosen a political stunt. This debate today has no real impact on the outcome on those families, other than a political little stunt for Labour.”
Some Tory MPs have gone further. One video, made by the Mansfield MP, Ben Bradley, and shared by some colleagues on social media, accuses Labour of trying to “intentionally misrepresent government policy” with opposition day motions.
Johnson echoes that rhetoric in a message sent to Conservative MPs explaining the decision to abstain. He claimed that after a previous opposition day debate on free school meals, Labour had used its “army of momentum trolls … to misrepresent the outcome and to lie about its meaning and frankly to intimidate and threaten colleagues”.
But the government faces increasing pressure over the plan to end the £20 increase for 6 million families in April. Among those opposing the plan is the Northern Research Group, which represents 65 Conservative backbenchers, many of them in ex-Labour “red wall” constituencies.
The Carlisle MP, John Stevenson, a member of the group, said: “While we are still in the pandemic, we’ve still got the consequences of coming through furlough – the implications of that – it would be far better to have a stable UC environment.
“Levelling up is about improving people’s lives, improving people’s standard of living, giving people greater opportunities. You could argue that the UC uplift is helping people get lifted.”
In a report on Monday the Resolution Foundation thinktank said the increase was critical to protect the poorest households from the worst economic impacts of Covid in 2020, and that refusing to extend it would contribute to pushing 730,000 more children into poverty.
Karl Handscomb, a senior economist at the thinktank, said: “The living standards outlook for 2021 looks bleak at present – but the government can directly improve it.”
source: Peter Walker
Levant
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!