Labour welfare cuts 'Dickensian' and 'from another era', says rebel MP ahead of vote

The Labour MP leading the effort to defeat the government's welfare bill has described her party's cuts as "Dickensian" and "from another era".

Rachael Maskell urged her colleagues to vote against Sir Keir Starmer's bill, saying it was "far from what this Labour Party is for: a party to protect the poor". Politics latest: Starmer facing key vote on welfare reforms Ms Maskell is one of 39 Labour MPs who have signed an amendment to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which, if passed, would halt its progress through parliament.

The leading rebel, whose constituency is York Central, said the bill should be voted down later this evening. She warned that 600 people took their lives under the era of Tory austerity, adding: "The tragedy of this ideology could be worse." Thirty-nine MPs have so far signed Ms Maskell's amendment despite the prime minister offering significant concessions on his original plans to avoid a damaging rebellion.

The number is a significant drop from the 127 Labour MPs who last week signed a separate amendment that would have killed the legislation and delivered a severe blow to Sir Keir's authority if it passed. In an attempt to minimise the looming rebellion, the prime minister watered down his original welfare proposals to minimise the impact on existing claimants.

On Monday, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed that all existing claimants of the personal independence payment (PIP), the main disability benefit, will be protected from changes to eligibility, which had been tightened under the original plan. She also confirmed that all current recipients of the health element of Universal Credit, as well as any new applicants meeting the "severe conditions criteria.