Latest news with #OliviaBlake
The Independent
29-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Streeting confident about welfare vote amid criticism of ‘two-tier' Pip plans
The Health Secretary signalled confidence that the Government will win a crunch vote on welfare reforms next week, but did not rule out further concessions. Wes Streeting said the changes 'have put us in a much better position' and give 'peace of mind' to those currently in receipt of personal independence payments. The Government's original welfare package had restricted eligibility for Pip, but in a climbdown to stave off a backbench rebellion, the changes will now only apply to new applicants. Mr Streeting said this was not unusual for such a transition. 'When things change and evolve as you bring in new systems, it does change sometimes from group to group, student finance being an example,' he told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme. He said 'we've got to listen' when asked if further concessions could be made on Pip. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has called for the Government to start from scratch on the Bill and said the latest plans were 'divisive and sinister'. 'Creating a two-tier system where younger disabled people and those who become disabled in the future will be disadvantaged and denied access to work and education, is morally wrong,' she said. Disabled Labour MP Olivia Blake said the proposed changes had been 'plucked from the air'. 'This could form an unethical two-tier system that treats two people with the exact same injury or illness differently,' she told The Guardian. The Health Secretary told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that the changes 'have put us in a much better position'. 'As a result of the changes, it means anyone watching this morning who's in receipt of personal independence payments now has the peace of mind of knowing that their situation is protected,' he said. Labour MP Louise Haigh meanwhile said she planned to back the Welfare Bill next week but needed to see the full detail of the new plans on Monday. The former Cabinet minister also said it was a moment for the Government to 'reset'. 'I think this is a moment and an opportunity to reset the Government's relationship with the British public and to move forward, to adopt a different approach to our economic policy and our political strategy,' she told the BBC. On Saturday, the Prime Minister told the Welsh Labour conference the 'broken' welfare system must be fixed 'in a Labour way'. The original plans restricted eligibility for Pip and cut the health-related element of universal credit Existing recipients were to be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support in an earlier move that was seen as a bid to head off opposition. Now, the changes to Pip will be implemented in November 2026 and apply to new claimants only, while all existing recipients of the health element of universal credit will have their incomes protected in real terms. The concessions on Pip alone protect some 370,000 people currently receiving the allowance who were to lose out after reassessment. Ministers had hoped the reforms would get more people back into work and save up to £5 billion a year, but the concessions left Chancellor Rachel Reeves needing to find money elsewhere and point to possible tax rises in the autumn.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Streeting confident about welfare vote amid criticism of ‘two-tier' Pip plans
The Health Secretary signalled confidence that the Government will win a crunch vote on welfare reforms next week, but did not rule out further concessions. Wes Streeting said the changes 'have put us in a much better position' and give 'peace of mind' to those currently in receipt of personal independence payments. The Government's original welfare package had restricted eligibility for Pip, but in a climbdown to stave off a backbench rebellion, the changes will now only apply to new applicants. Mr Streeting said this was not unusual for such a transition. 'When things change and evolve as you bring in new systems, it does change sometimes from group to group, student finance being an example,' he told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme. He said 'we've got to listen' when asked if further concessions could be made on Pip. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has called for the Government to start from scratch on the Bill and said the latest plans were 'divisive and sinister'. 'Creating a two-tier system where younger disabled people and those who become disabled in the future will be disadvantaged and denied access to work and education, is morally wrong,' she said. Disabled Labour MP Olivia Blake said the proposed changes had been 'plucked from the air'. 'This could form an unethical two-tier system that treats two people with the exact same injury or illness differently,' she told The Guardian. The Health Secretary told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that the changes 'have put us in a much better position'. 'As a result of the changes, it means anyone watching this morning who's in receipt of personal independence payments now has the peace of mind of knowing that their situation is protected,' he said. Labour MP Louise Haigh meanwhile said she planned to back the Welfare Bill next week but needed to see the full detail of the new plans on Monday. The former Cabinet minister also said it was a moment for the Government to 'reset'. 'I think this is a moment and an opportunity to reset the Government's relationship with the British public and to move forward, to adopt a different approach to our economic policy and our political strategy,' she told the BBC. On Saturday, the Prime Minister told the Welsh Labour conference the 'broken' welfare system must be fixed 'in a Labour way'. The original plans restricted eligibility for Pip and cut the health-related element of universal credit Existing recipients were to be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support in an earlier move that was seen as a bid to head off opposition. Now, the changes to Pip will be implemented in November 2026 and apply to new claimants only, while all existing recipients of the health element of universal credit will have their incomes protected in real terms. The concessions on Pip alone protect some 370,000 people currently receiving the allowance who were to lose out after reassessment. Ministers had hoped the reforms would get more people back into work and save up to £5 billion a year, but the concessions left Chancellor Rachel Reeves needing to find money elsewhere and point to possible tax rises in the autumn.
The Guardian
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Disabled Labour MP says welfare U-turn would create ‘unethical two-tier system'
A disabled Labour MP has said Keir Starmer's chaotic U-turn on welfare reform will create an 'unethical two-tier system', in a damning intervention which will put further pressure on the prime minister to change course. Olivia Blake, one of only nine MPs in parliament who has a disclosed disability, said the proposed changes to the welfare bill have been 'plucked from the air' by ministers scrambling to secure support for the bill in Tuesday's crunch vote in the Commons. 'The first thing I thought when I heard the concessions was, wait, we've not taken the step back that's needed here, we're working to improve a bill which is really harmful,' she said. 'This could form an unethical two-tier system that treats two people with the exact same injury or illness differently.' Blake, who has genetic pain disorders and is neurodivergent, said she has repeatedly warned ministers and whips for months about the inadequacy of the plans, but described the process of trying to communicate with government as like 'shouting at a brick wall'. 'They will meet you and chat with you but not respond. They need to learn lessons from that.' She added: 'I'm disappointed that something has been plucked from the air without engaging disabled people.' There have been after several days of frantic negotiations by the government as ministers tried to quell a rebellion of 120-plus Labour MPs over next week's welfare bill. Under the original plans, the personal independence payments (Pip) system would have its eligibility significantly tightened while out of work sickness benefits would be cut. The work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, has now promised to exempt current disability claimants from the changes, and to increase the health element of universal credit in line with inflation. Blake is adamant this is not enough. 'There are other ways forward and concessions made on this bill can't lead to future claimants suffering consequences that today's claimants may be able to avoid,' she said. 'We can't kick the can down the road. We certainly can't take away the already limited support disabled people rely on, condemning many to a life of poverty and deteriorating health.' The government has promised that the entire criteria system will be reviewed in conjunction with disabled people, but there is growing resentment among disability advocates that this was not done sooner. Blake said she agrees with their anger. 'I think the government needs to listen to disabled people, starting with its own backbenchers because it's clear our voices are still locked out,' she added. Vicky Foxcroft, who has rheumatoid arthritis, resigned as a whip in protest over the bill. With so few MPs in the party having a disclosed disability, Blake is disappointed the leadership has sidelined their input. 'It's hugely frustrating especially when colleagues have been going on the media day after day [incorrectly] calling Pip an out of work benefit,' she said. 'I've tried to flag that.' Blake is also one of the few MPs who has direct experience with the disability benefits system. In 2023, she applied for Pip herself, in part to understand what her constituents are facing. 'I'm in daily pain. I have to plan around flare-ups, hospital visits, and treatments that wipe me out for days,' she said. 'Even getting to work can mean pushing through fatigue and discomfort most people never experience. Sitting in the chamber is often excruciating.' Despite this, she was rejected for Pip, scoring just 2 points overall. She said: 'I found it staggering that the only one of my conditions that scored a point was my dyslexia. 'Even though I'd sent off reams of reports, test results, appointment notes and letters, correspondence with consultants. I thought there was a deep irony that the accessible form I had requested [for my dyslexia] arrived after their own deadlines.' Blake recalls there were multiple factual errors in the report but didn't feel confident enough to appeal. 'It made me question myself, as if I'd done something wrong.' The experience left her with an understanding of what other disabled people who rely on benefits are going through. 'This is not a system designed to support, it is a system that is toxic and makes people more ill.' This is the first time Blake, who was elected in 2019, has spoken publicly about her physical disabilities. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion She said that she has not done so lightly. 'I worry people will think it means I can't do my job effectively or as a weakness,' she said. 'But I think it makes me a better representative because I get it.' Now, that means making a plea to her colleagues: 'This isn't about us. It's not about the games in Westminster. This is about the lives of disabled people that have continuously been undervalued.'
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
PM risks ‘legitimising far-right violence' with ‘island of strangers' claim
Sir Keir Starmer's claim that Britain could become an 'island of strangers' risks 'legitimising the same far-right violence' seen in last summer's riots, according to a Labour MP. Charities and Labour backbenchers raised concerns over the language used by the Prime Minister as he outlined the need for better integration in the country, alongside measures aimed at reducing the number of people coming to the UK. Sir Keir highlighted the importance of 'fair rules' in shaping a country's values and people's rights, responsibilities and obligations, adding: 'Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.' But Labour MP Olivia Blake (Sheffield Hallam), speaking after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made a statement on the Government's immigration plans, told the Commons: 'Does the Secretary of State agree with me that far from being strangers, migrants are our neighbours, friends and family, an integral part and members of our communities, and that moves to cast them as strangers are both divisive and hostile, and risk legitimising the same far-right violence we saw in last year's summer riots? 'Have we learnt nothing?' Ms Cooper replied: 'As I set out in my statement, the people who have come here from abroad through very many generations, contributing to our economy and our country, been part of our community and making our country what it is, that is who we are as a country because of that history, and it will continue to be important for our future. 'We do want people to be able to integrate, to be able to share with neighbours, and that is why some of the provisions around ensuring that we support integration and support English language are so important as well.' Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, said: 'Migrants are being scapegoated for problems that they didn't cause and to be truthful these arbitrary measures won't fix those problems and they will harm migrants – people who need social care, our economy, anyone who fears racial abuse, which the rhetoric surrounding this emboldens. 'Why are we trying to ape Reform when that will do nothing to improve our constituents' lives and just stoke more division?' Labour MP Cat Smith (Lancaster and Wyre) told the Commons that academic staff 'are feeling quite hurt and upset by some of the language that has been used, particularly the language around an island of strangers'. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who lost the Labour whip last year after rebelling on a welfare vote, accused Sir Keir of 'reflecting the language' of Enoch Powell's infamous 'rivers of blood speech' in the 1960s. The Independent MP for Hayes and Harlington said: 'When legislation of this nature is being introduced that is serious and could be contentious, it's critically important that ministers use careful language. 'When the Prime Minister referred to … an island of strangers, reflecting the language of Enoch Powell, does she realise how shockingly divisive that could be?' Ms Cooper replied: 'The point that the Prime Minister has repeatedly made is that we need people to be able to integrate, to be able to be part of our communities, to be able to share with our neighbours, and that does mean being able to speak English. 'That is very important and it's why we are increasing the English language standards, not just for main visa applicants, but also for partners, for spouses, for dependants, adult dependants who come as well, because too often they have been isolated in communities if they are unable to speak English, that can also lead to greater exploitation as well.' Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer also told the Commons: 'The Prime Minister's 'island of strangers' speech sounded like something straight out of the Reform-Trump playbook.' Care4Calais, a refugee charity, said the Prime Minister's 'dangerous' rhetoric risked fanning the flames of the far-right, and called on him to apologise. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: 'It's right that ministers look to address concern over immigration, but the public wants principled competence rather than populist performance.' Natasha Tsangarides, associate director of advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said: 'Successive governments have been hooked on the cheap political points they can score by punching down on migrants, and it appears that this Labour Government is no different.' The Prime Minister's press secretary signalled ministers would continue with their plans despite opposition from the back benches. Asked if the Government was concerned about opposition from the Labour left, the Prime Minister's press secretary said: 'Look, the British public has elected us to do a job, and that's to roll up our sleeves and get on with fixing this problem. 'For years, we've seen an open border experiment under the last government, and we're doing what's right, ending the talk and no action. 'Labour will bring control, in line with British values, which is fairness and firmness, and strength and decency, and putting British workers first.'
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Approval due for Sheffield school games area despite protest
Plans to build a new games area at a Sheffield primary school have been recommended for Primary School submitted plans to replace the playing fields with a multi-use games area, prompting about 100 objections and a protest last school, on High Storrs Road, said the existing grass field had drainage and ground issues which rendered it unusable in heavy officers backed the scheme after plans to include a 100m running track along the eastern boundary were removed. Sheffield City Council is due to give its decision next week. The council received 117 responses to the plans during public consultation - with only 12 in support and four neutral, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Hallam MP Olivia Blake, councillors Shaffaq Mohammed and Barbara Masters, and the Millhouses, Ecclesall and Carter Knowle Community Group all voiced opposition to the raised included potential drainage and flooding issues, overdevelopment, noise, increased traffic, loss of privacy and the impact on green school has since revised its plan to remove the running track, which would have run alongside properties on neighbouring Edale Road.A final decision will be made by Sheffield City Council's planning committee on Tuesday. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
