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Middle East Eye
7 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK: Nearly 60 British MPs and peers call for full arms embargo on Israel
Nearly 60 British MPs and peers have called for a full embargo on arms exports to Israel and for the government to be more transparent about the licences it grants for military exports. Their demands, outlined in a 18 July letter sent to Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, come as Lammy has warned Israel of further sanctions if it does not reach a ceasefire in Gaza. The UK joined 27 other countries, including Australia, Canada and France, to condemn Israel for depriving Palestinians of "human dignity", and urged the Israeli government to immediately lift restriction on flow of aid. "We've announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months," Lammy told ITV's Good Morning Britain on Tuesday. 'There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behaviour and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end.' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters But those who signed the letter, including Zarah Sultana, John McDonnell, and Jeremy Corbyn, say the UK government should immediately end all arms exports to Israel or risk being complicit in genocide. 'The components which create the fighter jets that Israel has used to level Gaza are 15 percent British-made - we cannot hide from that," said Labour MP Steve Witherden, who organised the letter. "Without British arms export licences, these jets could not fly, they could not drop their bombs." Calling for answers The letter follows an adjournment debate last month that marked the first time arms export licences to Israel had been debated in the Commons since before the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel. 'The bare minimum we can do is be fully honest about what we are sending to a state involved in the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians' - Steve Witherden MP The MPs and peers asked for clarity about data about UK arms exports to Israel in 2024, released by the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), a cross-departmental body overseeing UK export licensing for military and dual-use items. During last month's debate, Trade Minister Douglas Alexander said the majority of the £142m in military export licences approved in 2024 to Israel were for components that would be re-exported to third countries, including Nato allies. But the letter says that ECJU data shows that of the £141.6m in standard individual export licences for military goods issued in 2024, more than half of the approved value appear to be intended for direct use in Israel. "Could the government clarify how this data aligns with the minister's claim that the majority of these licences were for re-export?" the letter asks. Alexander also said that more than £120m - or around 85 percent of the total value of licences for military exports to Israel last year - 'were for components to support exports of military items from Israeli companies to a single programme for a Nato ally'. The MPs and peers have asked the government to clarify which Nato ally is involved, the name and nature of the programme, and when it was established. Approved UK arms exports to Israel skyrocketed under Labour, data shows Read More » They have also asked for clarity about a surge in individual licences, totalling £127.6m and mostly for military radars and targeting systems, that were issued between October and December 2024, after the newly elected Labour government announced the suspension of around 30 arms licences to Israel. Witherden said that repeated calls for greater transparency about arms exports from the government "have so far gone unanswered". "The bare minimum we can do is be fully honest about what we are sending to a state involved in the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians," he said. Last month, the High Court rejected a challenge brought by rights groups that sought to halt the export of British-made F-35 fighter jet parts indirectly to Israel, through a global supply pool, following a 20-month court battle. In their ruling, the judges said they found that the issue was a matter "for the executive which is democratically accountable to Parliament and ultimately to the electorate, not for the courts".
Powys County Times
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Powys MP 'incredibly concerned' by Labour MPs suspension
Montgomeryshire MP Steve Witherden has said he is 'incredibly concerned' after several Labour MPs were suspended from the party. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer removed the whip from four MPs, and Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr MP Steve Witherden has now said he is 'incredibly concerned' over the issue. On July 16 it was revealed that Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff and Rachael Maskell, were suspended while three other Labour MPs - Rosena Allin Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin - were stripped of their trade envoy roles. The move comes after all four of the suspended MPs and the former trade envoys voted against the government's welfare reform bill earlier in July, among 47 Labour MPs who rebelled against the government's proposed cuts to welfare. Mr Witherden was also among the Labour MPs who rallied against the proposed cuts and criticised the grounds for suspending the four Labour MPs, warning they were responding to 'cuts that would have impoverished many people'. He said: "I am incredibly concerned at the treatment of many of my Labour colleagues – good friends amongst them – who have been suspended from the party or stripped of their roles as trade envoys over the past few days. "The grounds for punishment seem to be standing up for constituents, voting against cuts that would have impoverished many disabled people, and fighting for marginalised people in the communities they represent. "When I was elected a year ago, I vowed to put my constituents first and speak out when required. It now seems that doing so can be a punishable offence. These principled MPs have my full support." The four suspended MPs had also rebelled against the government in votes on other issues and pieces of legislation, including the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the Public Authorities Bill. Shortly after the MPs were suspended, Mr Witherden retweeted a post from Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, on his suspension from the party. The post contained statements from Clackmannanshire and Dunblane constituency Labour Party and Falkirk East constituency Labour Party expressing support for Mr Leishman, with Falkirk East saying he 'has the full support and backing of our members'. In the post Mr Leishman said: 'Thank you to both of my Constituency Labour Party's and the wonderful members in them. Your support and solidarity shows the very best of our movement.'
Wales Online
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
How every Welsh MP voted on controversial welfare change plans
How every Welsh MP voted on controversial welfare change plans Another late, and major concession, from the UK Government was needed to avoid an embarrassing defeat MPs have voted in favour of watered-down plans to reform welfare payments. The UK Government had to go further with its concessions from last week to avoid a humiliating defeat for its plans. A number of MPs, including five Labour MPs from Wales, had said they would vote for what's called a reasoned amendment, which, if it had passed, would have sunk the government bill. Plaid Cymru's four MPs also said they would back the amendment. That led the government to change the substance of its bill with all but one of the Welsh Labour rebels, Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr MP Steve Witherden, keeping his name on the rebel amendment. During the debate and before any vote the government offered a further concession to rebelling Labour MPs over its plans with disability minister Sir Stephen Timms saying changes to PIP would not take place until after a review of the benefit has concluded. The BBC's political editor, Chris Mason, has said the government was told hours before the ballot that numbers showed that even with the first major concession "defeat was very realistic". The combination of concessions meant enough MPs backed the bill and the proposal has passed the first stage of parliamentary scrutiny and it will go on to further scrutiny called the second reading.. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . Mr Witherden was the only Welsh Labour MP to vote against the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill. All four Plaid Cymru MPs and the sole Liberal Democrat also refused to give it their backing. Article continues below On Monday 86 disability and human rights groups put out a joint statement urging MPs to vote down the bill despite the protections for existing claimants including Scope, Mind, the Trussell Trust, Sense, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Oxfam. During the debate work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall told the Commons: "Welfare reform, let's be honest, is never easy, perhaps especially for Labour governments. Our social security system directly touches the lives of millions of people and it is something we all care deeply about. "We have listened to the concerns that have been raised to help us get these changes right. The Bill protects people already claiming PIP, it protects in real terms the incomes of people already receiving the UC (universal credit) health top-up from that benefit and their standard allowance, and it protects those with severe lifelong conditions who will never work, and those near the end of their life as we promised we would." Wales has 32 MPs with 27 representing Labour, four for Plaid Cymru and one Lib Dem. How all Welsh MPs voted on the welfare reform: Aberafan Maesteg Stephen Kinnock - Labour (Image: Labour Party ) For Alyn and Deeside Mark Tami - Labour (Image: Mark Tami, Alyn and Deeside Labour candidate ) For Bangor Aberconwy Claire Hughes - Labour Claire Hughes (Image: Mike Plunkett ) For Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney Nick Smith - Labour Nick Smith (Image: Labour Party ) For Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick - Liberal Democrat (Image: Welsh Liberal Democrats ) Against Bridgend Chris Elmore - Labour Chris Elmore (Image: Nathan Roach ) For Caerphilly Chris Evans - Labour Chris Evans (Image: Labour Party ) For Cardiff East Jo Stevens - Labour Jo Stevens (Image: Labour Party ) For Cardiff North Anna McMorrin - Labour Anna McMorrin (Image: Labour Party ) For Cardiff South and Penarth Stephen Doughty - Labour Stephen Doughty (Image: Labour Party ) For Cardiff West Alex Barros-Curtis - Labour Alex Barros-Curtis, Labour candidate for Cardiff West (Image: Labour Party ) For Caerfyrddin Ann Davies - Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru candidate for Caerfyrddin, Ann Davies (Image: PA ) Against Ceredigion Preseli Ben Lake - Plaid Cymru Ben Lake, Plaid Cymru candidate for Ceredigion Preseli (Image: Plaid Cymru ) Against Clwyd East Becky Gittins - Labour Becky Gittins, Labour candidate for Clwyd East (Image: Mike Plunkett ) For Clwyd North Gill German - Labour Gill German, Labour candidate for Clwyd North (Image: Mike Plunkett ) For Dwyfor Meirionnydd Liz Savile Roberts - Plaid Cymru Plaid MP Liz Savile Roberts (Image: JoeBlomfield 2022 / Plaid Cymru ) Against Gower Tonia Antoniazzi - Labour Tonia Antoniazzi MP for Gower (Image: Tonia Antoniazzi ) For Llanelli Nia Griffith - Labour Nia Griffith (Image: Labour Party ) For Merthyr Tydfil and Gerald Jones - Labour Gerald Jones (Image: Labour Party ) For Monmouthshire Catherine Fookes - Labour Catherine Fookes, Labour candidate for Monmouthshire (Image: Nathan Roach ) For Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr Steve Witherden - Labour Steve Witherden, Labour candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr (Image: Nathan Roach ) Against Neath and East Carolyn Harris - Labour Carolyn Harris, Labour candidate for Neath and Swansea East (Image: Labour Party ) For Newport East Jessica Morden - Labour Jessica Morden (Image: Labour Party ) For Newport West and Islwyn Ruth Jones - Labour Ruth Jones (Image: Labour Party ) For Pembrokeshire Mid and South Henry Tufnell - Labour (Image: Nathan Roach ) For Pontypridd Alex Davies-Jones - Labour Alex Davies-Jones (Image: Labour Party ) For Rhondda and Ogmore Chris Bryant - Labour Chris Bryant (Image: Labour Party ) For Swansea West Torsten Bell - Labour Torsten Bell (Image: Labour Party ) For Torfaen Nick Thomas-Symonds: Labour Nick Thomas-Symonds (Image: Labour Party ) For Vale of Glamorgan Kanishka Narayan - Labour (Image: Labour Party ) For Wrexham Andrew Ranger - Labour Andrew Ranger (Image: Mike Plunkett ) For Ynys Mon Llinos Medi - Plaid Cymru Llinos Medi (Image: Plaid Cymru ) Against Use this tool to check how any MP in Westminster voted: Article continues below
The National
01-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Labour MP backs calls for Wales to copy Scottish Child Payment
Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr MP Steve Witherden praised research by the Bevan Foundation which found that creating a 'Welsh Child Payment', based on the Scottish benefit, would be the 'most powerful and effective' way of cutting child poverty. The backbencher said that the evidence for 'putting money into people's pockets' as a way to tackle poverty was 'overwhelming'. Asked whether he believed that the Welsh Government should have the ability to set its own welfare policies, Witherden he was 'supportive of devo max', adding: 'I think it's about having the autonomy to choose, isn't it? If you have devo max, you do have more power to decide.' He added: 'I don't think anyone in Scotland would claim that it was some kind of utopia in this regard, child poverty exists there as it does everywhere in the UK, sadly. 'At the moment the Scottish percentages do look more favourable than the England and Wales combined percentages on child poverty.' (Image: PA Wires) Witherden highlighted research which looked at the potential impact of Wales copying the Scottish Child Payment, saying: 'There's lots of evidence for this – putting money in people's pockets, for lack of a more technical term – how helpful it is. 'There's sound research on this outside of the UK, USAID, UK development aid, it's found that when you can directly get the cash to people on the ground, it does alleviate poverty, it does make a difference. 'There's sound research backing that up, I know it has its critics, I'm not one of them, I follow the evidence and the evidence is quite overwhelming.' READ MORE: Welfare reforms could push 150,000 into poverty, official DWP modelling suggests The MP, first elected to Parliament last year, also called on the UK Government to publish an interim update on the work of its child poverty taskforce. He said: 'I'd like to hear some feedback on the findings thus far.' The taskforce was supposed to publish its findings this spring but the Government has delayed this, confirming in May that it was committed to publishing 'later this year'. It would look at a range of measures to bring down child poverty, including scrapping the two-child cap. (Image: Canva) The Scottish Child Payment was announced by the SNP in 2019 and the first payments were made two years later. It is paid to families who are in receipt of Universal Credit or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. Parents get £27.15 per week for each child they have under the age of 16. The Scottish Child Payment has been described as a 'game changer' by the Child Poverty Action Group. Official statistics have found that there were projected to be 90,000 fewer Scottish children expected to live in poverty by 2024 because of the policy and other measures. The Bevan Foundation's report from June this year said: 'Among all the interventions modelled, the introduction of a Welsh Child Payment emerges as the most powerful and effective. 'Based on the Scottish Child Payment, this intervention would provide support for each child in low-income families, with no deductions from existing benefits. It reaches nearly one-third of households that are in poverty within the data and reduces child poverty across the sample by almost 23%.' The Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru have also backed calls for a Welsh Child Payment, saying it had 'proved transformational in Scotland'. The UK and Welsh governments were approached for comment.
Powys County Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Government welfare reform U-turn 'not enough', says Powys MP
Montgomeryshire MP Steve Witherden has confirmed he will be among the Labour rebels voting against the government's proposed welfare benefits reforms. Speaking on BBC Radio Wales on Friday, June 27, Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr MP Steve Witherden said concessions in the governments planned cuts to welfare 'is not enough' for him to support the proposal. Mr Witherden was among the first Welsh Labour MP's to criticise the proposed cuts back in March, with the UK government saying it had listened and reached an agreement on the proposal that included a rollback on some of the cuts last week. Under the proposed reforms, people who currently receive Personal Independence Payments (PIP) or the health element of universal credit will continue to do so, while planned cuts will reportedly impact future claimants. Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, Mr Witherden said: 'I feel it is not enough for me. I came to the Labour movement from the Trade Union movement and in there we always opposed new terms and conditions for new starters. I do still have concerns that someone post-November 2026 would be treated differently to someone under the current system. 'We're talking about people who can't eat unassisted, people who can't go to the toilet unassisted. The score that they would obtain would be different and it would be insufficient to meet the threshold. 'It'll be two different systems treating people who become disabled at two different times. 'It would still amount for approximately £4,500 less annually for a recipient so it's something I feel very uncomfortable with. It amounts to an almost £7billion cut annually from what's being spent on disability benefits at the moment.' Stephen Kinnock, a UK government minister and MP for Aberafan Maesteg, said he was confident the revised welfare reforms would pass in the House of Commons during a second reading on Tuesday, July 1. When asked what he thinks other Labour MP's will do when it comes to voting on the reforms, Mr Witherden added: 'It's very difficult to say as this is very recent, with the announcements coming overnight. 'I only ever speak for myself and never for colleagues, so it will be interesting to see how these proposed changes are greeted. 'I want the welfare state to always be there for people who find themselves in that situation and I wouldn't want to see that change for people coming into the system.'
