Whip’s resignation over disability benefit cuts not a sign of major rebellion, Nandy says

Lisa Nandy said a handful of backbench Labour MPs had approached her with concerns about the detail of the welfare cuts. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Downing Street will not suffer a major rebellion when MPs vote next month on cuts to disability benefits, Lisa Nandy has insisted, despite the resignation of a government whip on Thursday.

The culture secretary said Vicky Foxcroft, who resigned from the government saying she could not vote for the controversial measures, was the only frontbench MP she knew of who had been thinking of quitting.