Hillier hails welfare deal after Labour revolt

ODN

Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier says a workable compromise has been reached on welfare reforms after ministers offered concessions to avoid defeat. Sir Keir Starmer faced pressure from 126 Labour MPs who backed an amendment to block the Bill, but the government now expects it to pass its first Commons vote on 1 July. Hillier says the changes are "critical to protecting the most vulnerable." Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

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00:00The government's been really listening to Labour MPs and is going to protect

00:04people who are currently in receipt of personal independent payments so that it

00:08won't decrease and also people who receive the health element of universal

00:12credit that will also be protected so you know in line with Labour values it's

00:16about protecting the most vulnerable but I would say all of us want to see

00:19people in work who can be in work and want to work and we're very committed to

00:23this bill which promotes movement into work but these changes are really

00:27critical to protecting the most vulnerable well I think this is a good

00:30deal it's a big change since last week massive changes to ensure that the most

00:37vulnerable people are protected in terms of their personal independence payments

00:41and the health element of universal credit and crucially involving disabled

00:44people themselves in the design of future benefit changes under the Tim's review

00:49under Stephen Twim's the DWP minister so this is a that's a real breakthrough

00:53that's going to be long-lasting so these are really important changes and shows

00:57that how Labour supports the most vulnerable and also this overall package

01:00is about helping people get into work which is absolutely a core Labour value

01:04I'm going to be backing it now because I think it is a good step forward and

01:08making these major changes are very welcome and we're really delighted that the

01:11government's been listening no actually I think what's really heartening here is

01:14that the government listens to its backbenchers has made major changes and is

01:18going to deliver those and through the bill over the next couple of weeks as it

01:21passes through the Commons and then the Lords and this is you know I think there's a great

01:25unity in Parliament about the desire to support people going into work and to

01:29support the most vulnerable in our society

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