Keir Starmer’s current welfare minister said the Prime Minister “destroyed” his own authority by watering down his benefit reforms last year, in damaging secret texts revealed in the Mandelson files.
Pat McFadden was discussing with Lord Mandelson – then US ambassador – the Labour rebellion against sickness and disability benefit cuts which threatened to wipe out the Prime Minister’s Commons majority.
In private WhatsApp messages on 24 June revealed in the Mandelson papers, as a 120-strong Labour revolt gathered pace, McFadden said the situation was “very bad” with rebels “not moving” despite a full Cabinet effort to meet and talk around MPs.
Shorts
The minister – who is now in charge of benefits as Work and Pensions Secretary – said Starmer was “meeting the ringleaders today”, adding: “I think it’s very bad.” “Defeat, pull [the] bill or gut it all destroy his authority”.
