Disability benefits cuts: The Scottish MPs who will vote to try and block Keir Starmer's welfare cuts

Sir Keir Starmer is set to face his biggest rebellion since taking office as several Scottish MPs look set to try and block his proposed disability cuts.

Around 50 MPs are expected to reject the Prime Minister’s welfare reform Bill, which could see 150,000 people pushed into poverty within five years.

Initially the UK government had wanted to cut the eligibility for personal independence payments to save the Treasury £5 billion a year by 2030.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer

This benefit is devolved in Scotland as the adult disability benefit. But any cuts at UK-level would affect how much money the Scottish Government receives from the Treasury to pay for this.

However, more than 120 MPs signed what is known as a reasoned amendment to stop the Bill progressing through parliament.

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The Prime Minister was forced to U-turn on the initial proposals and has now conceded the cuts will only apply to new claimants from November 2026.

Despite several backbenchers being placated by this climbdown, a second amendment to reject the Bill has been put forward by Rachael Maskell MP. Less than half of the original rebels have signed amendment.

So far 39 Labour backbenchers are supporting Ms Maskell’s amendment, including Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman and Glasgow North East MP Maureen Burke.

Brian Leishman MP | Submitted

So far all the other Scottish Labour MPs who had opposed the original Bill have not signed the new amendment, including Patricia Ferguson, Tracy Gilbert, Dr Scott Arthur, Kirsteen Sullivan, Richard Baker, Euan Stainbank, Lillian Jones, Elaine Stewart, Martin Rhodes and Irene Campbell.

Ms Maskell said there were “loads more” who had not signed her amendment, but were planning to vote against the government.

A further 24 MPs from other political parties have backed Ms Maskell’s amendment, including all nine SNP MPs. Others from the SDLP, Alliance Party, Greens, Plaid Cymru and a number of independents are also supporting the amendment.

The Lib Dems have proposed their own reasoned amendment to try and block the government’s Bill from passing. So far all the party’s MPs have signed this, except Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael.