British PM Keir Starmer’s Recent Challenges

By Andrew MacAskill and Elizabeth Piper
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was questioned in parliament on Thursday regarding his absence over the past two weeks. His response was straightforward: he had been engaged with international affairs.

This inquiry highlights Starmer’s uncomfortable situation. A year after securing one of Britain’s most significant election victories, he faces a friendlier audience abroad compared to a divided party at home, particularly concerning welfare reforms.

Starmer’s Labour Party is currently trailing behind Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK in opinion polls, with Starmer’s popularity also diminishing. More than 100 of his lawmakers are threatening what may become the largest parliamentary rebellion of his tenure, aiming to halt the government’s welfare reforms set for a vote next week.

This week, during a NATO summit in The Hague, Starmer, 62, conversed with U.S. President Donald Trump and exchanged friendly gestures with other leaders. However, he appeared agitated when questioned about the potential rebellion, which signals poor political judgment on his part.

He stated, “I am comfortable with reading the room and delivering the change the country needs,” as he committed to lead his party into the next national election, scheduled for 2029.

Downing Street officials indicate that the impending vote will serve as a critical test of Starmer’s leadership. A parliamentary defeat, or if the government were to withdraw or significantly revise the vote, would diminish his standing.

Officials argue that reforms aiming to save money and stimulate workforce participation are essential to what Starmer views as a long-term project to address Britain’s challenges.

Welfare Reforms Under Fire
Annual expenditures on incapacity and disability benefits currently exceed the defense budget, projected to exceed £100 billion ($137 billion) by 2030, rising from £65 billion today.

Ministers are negotiating with lawmakers to propose compromises ensuring the bill’s passage next Tuesday. A critical topic under review is the number of people slated to lose benefits intended for disability-related expenses.

A Labour minister, speaking anonymously, expressed confidence that a deal would eventually emerge to quell the rebellion. Conversely, a Labour lawmaker, who wished to remain nameless, suggested the government should pause and revise the legislation, pointing out that he would not support changes that could risk pushing thousands into poverty.

“People are very, very upset at the way the government has handled this,” the lawmaker remarked.

The decision to reduce payments for some of society’s most vulnerable is particularly troubling for Labour politicians, who view their history as caretakers of the welfare state established post-World War II.

Rebels may have drawn inspiration from the government’s reversal of another unpopular policy — halting payments to millions of pensioners for winter energy costs.

On Thursday, Starmer emphasized his intention to embed “the values of fairness” within his reforms and to pursue consensus in the upcoming days.

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