Over 120 Labour MPs Back Amendment Against Welfare Reforms Amid Internal Rift

Labour is facing significant internal rebellion and external challenges amid its welfare reform efforts and broader governance struggles. More than a third of Scottish Labour MPs and over a quarter of the party's MPs overall are backing an amendment to block cuts to disability and sickness-related benefits, threatening a government defeat or a damaging U-turn, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer struggling to maintain party discipline. Starmer's leadership has been criticized for a belligerent approach toward dissenting MPs, including threats of whip removal, which underscores deeper issues within Labour's cohesion and management. Concurrently, Labour is losing working-class voters to Reform UK, which is polling ahead of Labour and making gains in traditional Labour heartlands, fueled by voters' dissatisfaction with broken promises and issues like migration. The party is also grappling with wider systemic crises affecting the UK, including economic insecurity, dysfunctional public services, and political fragmentation, which it has yet to adequately diagnose or address, leaving it politically insecure despite a large majority. This combination of internal dissent, voter defection, and governance challenges threatens Labour's ability to deliver a coherent political narrative and effective administration.