Labour civil war looms as Keir Starmer faces nightmare revolt from backbenchers
An "undercurrent of disappointment" was clear among Labour backbenchers, as Sir Keir faces brewing rebellions over the party's principles, a report claims.
Sir Keir Starmer faces a growing rebellion among Labour backbenchers over his government's Winter Fuel Payment raid and refusal - thus far - to scrap the Two Child Benefit Cap.
Telegraph journalist Suzanne Moore, who attended the party conference in Liverpool this week, said the "draconian discipline" Sir Keir has enforced means backbenchers without influence are left feeling "pretty demoralised".
Labour figures are also concerned at increasingly being whipped to support policies they feel are at odds with the party's core principles.
Rosie Duffield, a Labour MP who has been a vocal proponent of lifting the benefit cap told the outlet: “Every member of the cabinet has stood up at some point and made a comment against the two child limit.
“And suddenly we are in government and we don’t have the money to do anything about it? It’s so fundamental to who we are! This is one of the things that makes you think, why am I in the Labour Party? What’s the purpose of the Labour Party?”, she added.
Live: Sir Keir Starmer addresses Labour Party Conference
Ms Duffield claimed the Prime Minister “just doesn’t engage,” adding that it's often said Sir Keir is “not actually interested in politics”.
The policy, which limits child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most families, has come under fire for apparently exacerbating child poverty, a situation that Sir Keir has been urged to address.
Fears in Labour HQ of a major rebellion against the recent vote to cut the Winter Fuel Payment didn't materialise, with the plan passing through Parliament easily.
However, "scores of MPs abstained in silent protest", The Guardian reports, fearing that the move would condemn vulnerable pensioners to a cold, hard winter.
Ms Moore said there was "no mistaking an undercurrent of disappointment from many" who gathered in Merseyside this week to see Sir Keir's first conference address since winning power in July.
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"The new backbenchers are finding their way, not quite sure of their place, full of high ideals but in some ways already compromised," she wrote.
"Does anyone really become a Labour MP to cut the winter fuel allowance? Of course there was going to be a rebellion on this and of course it would be ignored. Such is the power of a big majority."
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, sparked a furious backlash in July when she announcedplans to limit winter fuel payments of up to £300 to only those on pension credit.
Labour have blamed cuts on having to tackle the £22 billion black hole in the public finances they claim the previous Conservative government left them, which the Tories deny.
The rule change, which will see some 10 million pensioners lose out on the payment, is expected to save the treasury around £1.3billion in the first year.
