The controversial bill voted through after a major U-turn
20:31, 01 Jul 2025Updated 20:43, 01 Jul 2025
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall(Image: Parliament TV)
Labour’s controversial welfare reforms have been voted through after the government made a major U-turn at the eleventh hour.
The bill, which was set to make it harder to claim disability benefits, has been voted through by a majority of 75 votes in the House of Commons. It came after the government made yet another concession during the debate in a last-minute offer to Labour rebels.
Disabilities minister Stephen Timms said that controversial changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) which would have raised the threshold for new claimants to qualify would not come into effect until his review of the disability benefit is completed.
Nevertheless, 49 Labour MPs still voted against the bill – including some from Greater Manchester – with others choosing to abstain.
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In total, three Labour MPs from Greater Manchester voted against the bill alongside the region’s two Lib Dems who also opposed it.
There was no vote recorded for two Labour MPs, both of whom took to social media to explain why they could not support the bill.
The remaining 20 MPs in Greater Manchester, nearly half of whom are government ministers or whips, all voted in favour of the bill.
It comes after 10 out of our 27 MPs came out against the bill last week, with eight of them signing a rebel amendment opposing it.
However, the reasoned amendment was withdrawn after the government promised to protect those currently claiming PIP.
A new reasoned amendment was debated on Tuesday (July 1), but only 42 Labour MPs voted for it alongside opposition parties.
Oldham MP Debbie Abrahams, who chairs the Work and Pensions Select Committee, did not sign the latest reasoned amendment, but said during ahead of the debate that she would not be supporting the bill. However, she changed her mind following the U-turn.
If all opposition MPs voted against the bill, it would have taken 83 Labour rebels to vote it down – but in the end there were only 49.
Here’s the full breakdown of how each Greater Manchester MP voted.
For
- Connor Rand (Labour), Altrincham and Sale West
- Angela Rayner (Labour), Ashton-under-Lyne
- Kirith Entwistle (Labour), Bolton North East
- Phil Brickell (Labour), Bolton West
- James Frith (Labour), Bury North
- Christian Wakeford (Labour), Bury South
- Andrew Gwynne (Independent), Gorton and Denton
- Elsie Blundell (Labour), Heywood and Middleton North
- Jo Platt (Labour Co-op), Leigh and Atherton
- Josh Simons (Labour), Makerfield
- Lucy Powell (Labour Co-op), Manchester Central
- Jeff Smith (Labour), Manchester, Withington
- Debbie Abrahams (Labour), Oldham East and Saddleworth
- Jim McMahon (Labour Co-op), Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton
- Paul Waugh (Labour), Rochdale
- Jonathan Reynolds (Labour Co-op), Stalybridge and Hyde
- Andrew Western (Labour), Stretford and Urmston
- Lisa Nandy (Labour), Wigan
- Michael Wheeler (Labour), Worsley and Eccles
- Mike Kane (Labour), Wythenshawe and Sale East
AgainstNo vote recorded