Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing fierce backlash after warnings that cutting disability benefits could have devastating consequences, with critics insisting, “People will die” if the plans go ahead. Ministers have been pushing to reduce the number of working-age benefit claimants, aiming to encourage more people into employment as part of their economic strategy.
However, reports suggest that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall are now preparing to backtrack on proposed cuts to disabled people’s payments amid growing pressure.
Discussing the situation on GB News, Curtis Daly, founder of Turn Left Media, launched a scathing attack on Reeves, accusing Labour of “going after the most vulnerable and poorest in society.” “It’s 45 years of the same policies—going after benefit claimants, going after the disabled. It’s always about targeting the most vulnerable and poorest in society,” he fumed.
Daly argued that rather than focusing on corporate tax avoidance, governments consistently place the burden on those who are already struggling. “We never decide to go after the corporations who don’t pay taxes, we always go after the poorest. And the Labour Party say, ‘vote for us for change’—there is no change.” In a direct and emotional warning to Reeves, Daly claimed her policies could cost lives.
“I don’t know if Rachel is watching right now, and I hope she is, because I want to address her directly. What you’re proposing is absolutely disgusting; it’s sickening. 330,000 people were killed due to George Osborne’s austerity. And you’re continuing the same line. I’m telling you this right now. If you continue this, it’s very possible that people will die.”
Daly insisted that rather than slashing benefits, the government should focus on improving job quality and pay to lift people out of poverty. “We first need good quality paying jobs to get people off of benefits. But at the same time, you can’t expect workers to thrive when unions are being weakened, when bosses can pay whatever they want, and when workers’ rights are being watered down.”
He pointed out that union membership is at its lowest point while corporations and the billionaire class continue to grow richer. He also criticised the decision to target Personal Independence Payments (PIP), a benefit assessed to have a fraud rate of zero per cent. “We’re not tackling the real problems,” he said.
Daly wrapped up his argument with a call for a “patriotic economy” that stops punishing the poor and instead holds the wealthiest accountable. “I want a patriotic economy where people pay their taxes to have world-class public services instead of going after the very poorest. The problem is inequality from the very richest. I’m not talking about people who have done well—I’m talking about the billionaire class who get away with everything. And the Labour Party are doing the exact same thing as the Conservatives, blaming the very poor.”
With growing opposition to the proposed cuts, Labour now faces a major dilemma—press ahead and risk public outrage, or backtrack and face accusations of another broken promise.
