Latest news with #Burgon
The National
03-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Keir Starmer faces fresh rebellion threat over Universal Credit cut
Backbencher Richard Burgon has tabled an amendment to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill to prevent the cut to the health component of the benefit. The current bill, which was gutted of controversial cuts to Personal Independence Payments (Pip) in a last-minute U-turn, still retains the reduction in the health top-up of Universal Credit. As it stands, the extra payment is set to be cut for new claimants from £97 per week to £50 per week – a reduction to £217.26 per month. READ MORE: Rachel Reeves breaks silence on tears in the House of Commons Burgon's amendment would reverse this cut, keeping the health element at its current rate of £423.27. It is estimated the UK Government's changes would affect more than 750,000 people and result in an annual loss of income of £3000 per person. It is understood the amendment has the backing of more than 25 MPs, including 20 Labour MPs. If selected for debate when the Commons debates the remaining stages of the welfare bill on Wednesday, it could trigger yet another bruising backbench rebellion for Keir Starmer. READ MORE: PM takes blame for welfare U-turn as he gives full backing to Chancellor The Prime Minister's authority was dealt a blow earlier this week when the threat of a substantial rebellion saw the UK Government scrap much of its welfare bill mid-debate. Burgon said: 'Despite welcome promises regarding Pip, a huge cut for sick and disabled people remains at the heart of this Bill. 'This cruel and unnecessary halving of the Universal Credit health element will see £2 billion per year slashed from vital support that sick and disabled people rely on. 'The Government needs to scrap this proposal. There should be no two-tier system for disability support.'
New European
12-03-2025
- Politics
- New European
PMQs Review: A dangerous question for Keir Starmer
There comes a point for every prime minister when the most dangerous questions come not from the side opposite but from behind. When the awkward questioning comes from the PM's own benches, it's a sign the honeymoon is over. While Keir Starmer has not really had much of a honeymoon – his relationship with the British public being less of a betrothal and more a one-night stand which got weirdly out of hand – it's very much back home now. Questions from the Labour benches have been reliably obsequious for the first eight months of Starmer's reign. A combination of largely wet-behind-the-ears MPs and gratitude for power meant they were predominantly pointless set-ups handed out by the whips ('Does the prime minister agree that Tories are awful rotters?') or provincial fare designed for what remains of the local press ('Could I invite the prime minister to visit Stevenage?' – a question to which the answer should always, always be 'no'). But might things stir now that the slashing of the foreign aid budget is followed by plans for welfare which sound a bit, well, Tory? They might. Granted, one sign came today from Richard Burgon, the member of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet the most likely to need his mum to tie his shoelaces. It should be recalled that, during his campaign for the deputy leadership in 2020 he imagined the party 'investing in its own free newspaper given out on public transport' while conceding 'I'm no expert at that'. All the same, Burgon's question in the commons today is almost certainly indicative of wider unease. 'Disabled people in my constituency are frightened because they are again hearing politicians use the language of 'tough choices',' said the MP for Leeds East. 'They know from bitter experience that when politicians talk about tough choices, it means the easy option of making the poor and vulnerable pay. Instead of cutting benefits for disabled people, would not the moral thing – the courageous thing – to do be to make a real tough choice, and introduce a wealth tax on the very wealthiest people in our society?' Starmer did his stock answer about the legacy left by the Conservatives before delivering a Blairite-like mantra that 'we must support people who need support; we must help those who want to work to get back into work, and I think there is a moral imperative in that'. Did that assuage his more uncomfortable backbenchers? It remains to be seen. The ages of those newbies suggest they came of age politically booing George Osborne and chanting about Nick Clegg and austerity. It might not be long before some of them, less hardline than Burgon, start to break ranks. We dwell on Burgon because Kemi Badenoch, the actual leader of the opposition, may as well have not turned up. With domestic attention on welfare – cuts to which she is hardly going to oppose – and nary a cigarette paper between the two main parties on Ukraine, she was left talking about the budget again, an event four months ago, although given the complete reversal of the post-war order has taken place since, may as well have been 70 years. 'People vote Labour, and all they get is trash – just like what he is saying at the Dispatch Box,' she said at one point, weirdly utilising an Americanism and sounding like Oscar the Grouch. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, meanwhile, asked about President Trump's metal tariffs and whether the prime minister would 'fly out to Canada as soon as possible to show its new prime minister and the Canadian people that Britain stands with its Commonwealth allies against Trump's threats and Trump's tariffs'. Starmer responded that 'we are, as the right honourable gentleman knows, negotiating an economic deal, which covers and will include tariffs, if we succeed, but we will keep all options on the table', a sentence the last part of which got some journalists on social media very excited indeed despite, on closer examination, meaning precisely nothing. The most unpleasant moment of the session came from Andrew Griffith, a ruddy-faced gentleman parked to Badenoch's left, geographically if not politically, who thought that a question about antisemitism would be a good opportunity to heckle the PM. Labour MP Tulip Siddiq asked about antisemitism on NHS wards, 'in particular about a shocking incident in which a Jewish NHS staff member was called a baby killer by a colleague'. Starmer responded that 'it is a fundamental principle that the NHS provides care and treatment for everyone, regardless of race, faith or background'. To which Griffith shouted, in apparent reference to recent controversial changes to sentencing policy, 'But it's okay in the justice system?' Starmer said that Griffith 'has let himself down, and he knows it'. Griffith is apparently shadow business secretary. Finally, Claire Hanna, leader of the SDLP, rose. 'Lá Fhéile Pádraig shona daoibh agus Seachtain na Gaeilge daoibh,' she said. 'Deis lenár dteanga agus ár gcultúr a cheiliúradh ar fud an domhain.' 'Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all and Happy Irish Week to you all,' Google Translate tells me. 'A chance to celebrate our language and culture around the world.' Although it may well have meant 'This is really going to piss off those Hansard stenographers.'
The Independent
12-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Starmer faces backlash in the Commons over potential welfare cuts
Sir Keir Starmer has faced a backlash over rumoured welfare cuts, with one Labour MP pleading with the Prime Minister to make the 'moral' choice. Richard Burgon told the Commons disabled people are 'frightened' as he urged Sir Keir to introduce a wealth tax instead of 'making the poor and vulnerable pay'. At Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir pledged to 'protect those who need protecting', but later added there isn't a 'bottomless pit'. Labour MP John Slinger also pressed the Government to 'provide compassion to those who can't work', as he called for the 'broken' welfare system to be fixed. On Wednesday, Mr Burgon, Leeds East MP, said: 'Disabled people in my constituency are frightened and they're frightened because they're again hearing politicians use the language of tough choices, and they know, from bitter experience, when politicians talk about tough choices it means the easy option of making the poor and vulnerable pay. 'So instead of cutting benefits for disabled people, wouldn't the moral thing to do, the courageous thing to do, be to make a real tough choice and introduce a wealth tax on the very wealthiest people in our society?' Sir Keir replied: 'The party opposite left a broken welfare system, which locks millions out of work, that is indefensible, in my view, economically and morally. Of course, we need to support people who need support, we need to help those who want to work to get back into work, and I think there's a moral imperative in that. 'He talks about a wealth tax, we have raised money – the energy profits levy, taxing non-doms, and air passenger duty on private jets. But this isn't a bottomless pit, and we must kick-start growth to get the economic stability that we need.' In July last year, Mr Burgon lost the Labour whip after he rebelled against the Government in a vote on the two-child benefit cap. He has since had the whip restored. Earlier in the session, Mr Slinger, Rugby MP, said: 'Will the Prime Minister set out how this Government will give everyone who is able to work the support they need, provide compassion to those who can't work, and fix the broken welfare system left behind by, you guessed it, the Conservatives?' Sir Keir replied: 'I come from a family that dealt with a disability through my mother and brother over many years, so I do understand the concerns that have been raised by him, but we inherited a system which is broken, it is indefensible, economically and morally, and we must and we will reform it. 'We will have clear principles, we will protect those who need protecting. We will also support those who can work, back to work, but Labour is the party of work, we're also the party of equality and fairness.' Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey asked Sir Keir to calm the fears of disabled people who are unable to work ahead of possible changes to their support. He said: 'The Prime Minister has rightly spoken about the need to get more people into work, and he repeated that now, so people have more dignity, we can get the economy going, and we can cut the benefits bill after the disgraceful legacy left by the Conservatives. 'But does the Prime Minister recognise that for many disabled people the best way to help them into work is to support them properly, with more special equipment, with training, with better healthcare and so on. And will he also today calm anxieties that he himself has raised for many of us that the disability benefits for people who simply cannot work will not be cut?' Sir Keir, referring to the opposition benches during his response, said: 'We will of course support those who need support, but help those who can work into work. They'll be the guiding principles. But what we've inherited is shocking, and they ought to be silent. 'One in eight young people not in education, work or training. That is a lost generation. That is their inheritance. They've got plenty to say now, they did nothing for 14 years and that is a terrible inheritance.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Starmer faces backlash in the Commons over potential welfare cuts
Sir Keir Starmer has faced a backlash over rumoured welfare cuts, with one Labour MP pleading with the Prime Minister to make the 'moral' choice. Richard Burgon told the Commons disabled people are 'frightened' as he urged Sir Keir to introduce a wealth tax instead of 'making the poor and vulnerable pay'. At Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir pledged to 'protect those who need protecting', but later added there isn't a 'bottomless pit'. Labour MP John Slinger also pressed the Government to 'provide compassion to those who can't work', as he called for the 'broken' welfare system to be fixed. On Wednesday, Mr Burgon, Leeds East MP, said: 'Disabled people in my constituency are frightened and they're frightened because they're again hearing politicians use the language of tough choices, and they know, from bitter experience, when politicians talk about tough choices it means the easy option of making the poor and vulnerable pay. 'So instead of cutting benefits for disabled people, wouldn't the moral thing to do, the courageous thing to do, be to make a real tough choice and introduce a wealth tax on the very wealthiest people in our society?' Sir Keir replied: 'The party opposite left a broken welfare system, which locks millions out of work, that is indefensible, in my view, economically and morally. Of course, we need to support people who need support, we need to help those who want to work to get back into work, and I think there's a moral imperative in that. 'He talks about a wealth tax, we have raised money – the energy profits levy, taxing non-doms, and air passenger duty on private jets. But this isn't a bottomless pit, and we must kick-start growth to get the economic stability that we need.' In July last year, Mr Burgon lost the Labour whip after he rebelled against the Government in a vote on the two-child benefit cap. He has since had the whip restored. Earlier in the session, Mr Slinger, Rugby MP, said: 'Will the Prime Minister set out how this Government will give everyone who is able to work the support they need, provide compassion to those who can't work, and fix the broken welfare system left behind by, you guessed it, the Conservatives?' Sir Keir replied: 'I come from a family that dealt with a disability through my mother and brother over many years, so I do understand the concerns that have been raised by him, but we inherited a system which is broken, it is indefensible, economically and morally, and we must and we will reform it. 'We will have clear principles, we will protect those who need protecting. We will also support those who can work, back to work, but Labour is the party of work, we're also the party of equality and fairness.' Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey asked Sir Keir to calm the fears of disabled people who are unable to work ahead of possible changes to their support. He said: 'The Prime Minister has rightly spoken about the need to get more people into work, and he repeated that now, so people have more dignity, we can get the economy going, and we can cut the benefits bill after the disgraceful legacy left by the Conservatives. 'But does the Prime Minister recognise that for many disabled people the best way to help them into work is to support them properly, with more special equipment, with training, with better healthcare and so on. And will he also today calm anxieties that he himself has raised for many of us that the disability benefits for people who simply cannot work will not be cut?' Sir Keir, referring to the opposition benches during his response, said: 'We will of course support those who need support, but help those who can work into work. They'll be the guiding principles. But what we've inherited is shocking, and they ought to be silent. 'One in eight young people not in education, work or training. That is a lost generation. That is their inheritance. They've got plenty to say now, they did nothing for 14 years and that is a terrible inheritance.'
South China Morning Post
10-02-2025
- South China Morning Post
Forget Indiana Jones, Petra, Saudi Arabia's Hegra is a must-see alternative
Published: 1:15pm, 10 Feb 2025 In 1845, theologian John William Burgon wrote one of the most quoted lines in English poetry: 'Match me such marvel save in Eastern clime, a rose-red city half as old as time.' Petra , his only poem, was written in homage to the well-hidden labyrinth of rock-cut tombs, temples and monuments that was the capital of the 3rd century BC-1st century AD Nabataean kingdom, and whose remains lie in modern-day Jordan. Few images are more striking than that of the ornate pink two-storey frontage of the tomb known as the Treasury, seen cropped by the dark slit of the Siq, the narrow waterworn passage through which it is approached. It's a view familiar to many from the climax of the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade . Like Petra in Jordan, Hegra in Saudi Arabia features dramatic, naturally eroded passageways through cliffs. But Burgon would have needed only to look 500km south, across the border with Saudi Arabia, to find a match for Petra . Here, relatively undiscovered Hegra, the Nabataeans' second city, stands at a point where trade routes met. It offers the same ornately carved cliffs, just as cheerfully pink, cut into imposing multicultural classical frontages around 2,000 years ago. But having opened for non-resident foreigners only in 2020, Saudi Arabia 's first Unesco World Heritage-listed site still sees just a fraction of Petra's crowds. The base for a visit to Hegra is the small town of AlUla, about four hours' drive across the desert north from Madinah – less if showing a typical Saudi indifference to speed limits. The road occasionally winds over higher ground but otherwise passes through flat, featureless aridity, the occasional tiny settlement seeming to have little point beyond serving food or fuel to passing traffic, or making a small mosque available to those on the road during Muslim prayers, five times daily. The drive parallels the former route of the Hejaz railway from Damascus, to whose destruction T.E. Lawrence (commonly known as Lawrence of Arabia) dedicated himself during the Arab insurgency against Turkish rule in World War I. David Lean's 1962 biopic fails to mention that the line's original purpose was to take pilgrims to Mecca, although it was never completed.
