‘When the PM's door is shut, wrong decisions are made,’ admits Labour MP branding Starmer's welfare reforms ‘unworkable’

6 July 2025, 12:18 | Updated: 7 July 2025, 10:19

Watch Again: Lewis Goodall is joined by Labour MP Rachael Maskell

A Labour rebel has called on the Prime Minister to step up his "engagement" with his MPs to avoid making misjudgements.

Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, agreed with criticism that Sir Keir Starmer was "too remote" from his party as she demanded more revisions to the controversial welfare reform bill.

It comes after Sir Keir shelved plans to restrict eligibility for Personal Independence Payments - commonly known as PIP - in the face of a backbench revolt as the proposed measures cleared its first hurdle in Commons this week.

On Sunday with Lewis Goodall, Ms Maskell warned that a widening gap between the Prime Minister and the Parliamentary Labour Party would lead to more "unworkable" policy propositions.

Urging the Prime Minister and his advisors to "consult and engage more", she said: "When the Prime Minister's door is shut, wrong decisions are made.

"It's not just him - the government has collective responsibility - and the government pressed ahead with a bill that was unworkable."

Read more: Rachel Reeves declines to rule out tax hikes as she describes welfare fallout as ‘damaging’

Read more: Chancellor Rachel Reeves cries during PMQs as Starmer says 'she's going nowhere' after welfare bill storm

Ms Maskell also said she had written a letter to Sir Keir today to "make the case he listens to sick and disabled people to understand the implications of pressing ahead with the measures".

The original welfare proposals had been part of a package that ministers expected would save up to £5 billion a year, and economists are now warning that tax rises are likely to plug the gap left by the concessions to rebels.

Cuts to PIP will now not take place until after a review.

But Ms Maskell said an additional £24billion could be generated by a wealth tax, charging an additional 2% on those with net assets of over £10million, to cover the funding shortfall as she pushed the government to lift the two-child benefit gap.

On Friday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves admitted that the fallout over the Government’s welfare bill had been “damaging” and did not rule out tax rises in the autumn budget.

It came after images of the Chancellor crying during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday spooked the financial markets and led to questions about her future, although a spokesman said she was upset by a personal matter.

In an interview with The Guardian, Ms Reeves said it would be “irresponsible” to rule out the idea of tax rises and warned “there are costs to what happened” with the welfare Bill.

The Sunday Times reported that the two-child benefit cap could be unlikely to be scrapped – as many Labour backbenchers want – as ministers look to balance the finances.