Overview

• Labour leader Keir Starmer plans to introduce welfare reforms aimed at encouraging people back to work, including tightening eligibility for incapacity benefits.
• Diane Abbott and Andy Burnham have expressed strong opposition to the proposed benefit cuts, arguing they risk pushing vulnerable people further into poverty.
• Critics within the party, including Abbott, argue that reducing disability benefits is inconsistent with Labour's values and could alienate traditional supporters.
• Treasury minister Emma Reynolds defended the reforms, emphasizing that a safety net for the most vulnerable will remain in place and calling the changes a moral duty.
• Concerns persist that the proposed changes could affect up to a million people, with charities warning of potential increases in poverty among disabled individuals.