Starmer must listen to us, says MP who quit as whip

Sir Keir Starmer needs to listen to his own MPs, a former Labour frontbencher who quit her role over plans to slash benefits has said.

- MILLIE COOKE POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Vicky Foxcroft, who dramatically resigned as a government whip in June, said ministers need to “properly engage” with Labour backbenchers after a massive rebellion forced the government to abandon key aspects of its benefit reforms.

Ms Foxcroft said she was “really concerned” about the negative impact the proposals - which were later abandoned - would have on disabled people. “There were some quite bad cuts to disabled people’s benefits suggested, particularly around personal independence payments and having to have four points before you would be able to access the benefit.

“And I was just really concerned about that. And at that point, I didn’t feel that I could support it and didn’t feel that I could go out and whip for it and get other MPs to do the same,” Ms Foxcroft told GB News presenter Gloria De Piero.