Liz Kendall has made it through the first stage of her welfare reform plans without major backlash—but will her luck hold? For the work and pensions secretary, the key test was clear. As one Labour insider put it, if the headlines were dominated by disabled people fearing they’d be worse off, she’d have failed. But if the focus remained on getting more people into work, she’d have passed.
So far, things are going in her favour. While welfare reform is always a political minefield, Kendall has managed to clear two significant hurdles already. The first was the reaction in the House of Commons. While the Conservatives predictably argued the changes didn’t go far enough—despite having the power to act just months ago—the real concern was how Labour MPs would respond. A few voiced their discontent, but for the most part, criticism was muted.
