U.Okay. PM Keir Starmer’s authorities has sharply scaled again deliberate welfare cuts after greater than 120 MPs from his ruling Labour Occasion threatened to dam its development via Parliament. Most notably, a deliberate reform to make it harder for some disabled folks to obtain advantages will now solely apply to new candidates. The invoice is predicted to go subsequent week. (The Guardian)
Our Take
This now marks the third main reversal for Starmer in latest weeks, after his authorities additionally backtracked on deliberate cuts to gasoline subsidies for retirees and dropped its opposition to launching a second inquiry right into a decades-old baby intercourse ring scandal resulting from stress from the proper.
Whereas the political logic of the U-turns was totally different in every case, in addition they underscore what has turn out to be a shocking theme of Starmer’s premiership: Regardless of having been elected almost a 12 months in the past with an awesome legislative majority, he has largely been governing from a defensive crouch.
