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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
John Rentoul

Voices: Labour’s rebel MPs have weakened Starmer – but the greatest damage is to themselves

Sir Keir Starmer Rachel Reeves Gordon Brown Liz Kendall Survation

Divided parties do not win elections, and yet Labour cannot help itself. The damage done to Keir Starmer by the rebellion over welfare changes is not just the number of MPs who vote against the Labour whip today, but the revelation that so much of the party is in a state of boiling resentment against its own government.

It is not just MPs. Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan, the two elected Labour politicians with the largest democratic mandates of their own, oppose the disability benefits bill. And Survation polls of Labour members reveal that they rate Rachel Reeves, Liz Kendall and Starmer – the architects of the welfare changes – lowest among cabinet ministers.

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