Falkirk and Grangemouth Labour rebel MPs vote against government's welfare reforms

Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman and Falkirk’s Euan Stainbank stuck to their earlier decision to reject the welfare bill, despite the Labour Government bringing in last-minute changes which saw it passed by 335 votes to 260.

They were amongst 49 rebel Labour MPs who did not vote for the Universal Credit and Personal Independence bill.

Mr Leishman said “protecting the most vulnerable in society while standing up for working class communities” remains his priority. He has been campaigning against the changes since the proposals first surfaced in March.

The changes are still projected to push around 150,000 people into poverty and Mr Leishman has previously called for the bill to be taken back to the drawing board.

He said: “This shameful bill should have been rejected with the government going away to consult with disabled people as well as organisations and charities that work on the front lines.

“I did not come into politics to impoverish some of the most vulnerable people in society, and I did not join the Labour Party to make life even more difficult for the working class.

“Austerity has already seen the creation of the in-work poor, now we are forcing even more hardship on those who have the least in society."

The MP added: “Welfare reform is needed, but we should be creating a caring and compassionate system with true Labour Party values in mind.”

Speaking ahead of the vote, Mr Stainbank said: “In the current economic climate and coming out of the long shadow of a pandemic, I believe we should be doing more to support those who are struggling and out of work. That includes low-income families, disabled people, and pensioners. While I recognise the concessions announced by the Government will protect income for current claimants, there are still too many questions around the support available for future claimants when the Government’s analysis of this bill shows 150,000 people will be pushed into poverty by the end of the Parliament.

“I expressed my opinion to Ministers privately yesterday that the Government should pull the bill and think again; this hasn’t happened and therefore I’m regrettably left with the decision that I must vote against this bill.”

The reforms will see around 430,000 future Personal Independence Payment (PIP) recipients lose out on an average of £4500 per year, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Another 730,000 future Universal Credit recipients will also lose an average of £3000 a year with an estimated 150,000 people pushed into relative poverty by 2030.