Navigating Welfare Cuts: The Intricacies of Party Loyalty and Public Sentiment

Keir Starmer is facing war on both fronts. He is in the Netherlands to talk about defence and announce a major change in the UK's nuclear posture in response to rising challenges in the Middle East. But everyone in Westminster wants to talk about a different kind of warfare: the warfare over welfare. MPs will vote on the government’s controversial welfare bill, after more than 120 MPs signed a reasoned amendment that would effectively stop the bill in its tracks.

What has been most concerning for the government is how organised the rebellion appears, with many picking up on the mutinous mood since Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill. The government is increasingly looking like it will lose the vote. Are Labour going to pull the bill? And if so, surely they need to do it sooner rather than later.

Lucy Dunn speaks to James Heale and John McTernan, former political adviser to Tony Blair.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.