A senior cabinet minister has come out strongly in support of Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of a high-stakes vote on his controversial welfare reforms, which are being widely viewed as a critical test of his leadership.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has brushed aside speculation over Starmer’s political future, saying he would “absolutely” lead the Labour Party into the next general election. Her defence of the prime minister comes after a turbulent week marked by backbench rebellion and public discontent over proposed benefit cuts.
Speaking in an interview, Ms Phillipson acknowledged that governing is often marked by turbulence, but insisted that the Labour government had already accomplished significant reforms in its first year. “Government can have its ups and downs,” she remarked, adding, “what you will see in the months and years to come is delivery from this government.”
The comments follow internal party unrest, after a proposed package of welfare reforms sparked a fierce backlash among Labour MPs and fuelled rumours of possible leadership change. Some lawmakers have voiced fears that the party could lose traction in key elections next summer, including in Wales and Scotland, while also facing a growing challenge from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party in local elections.
Starmer Faces Internal Party Pressure
Midway through the political storm, Ms Phillipson reiterated her support for the revised welfare measures, which came after Starmer’s recent concessions. She argued that the reworked policy now better reflects the concerns of MPs and insisted that reform is necessary because “too many” people were being left behind or not given the assistance needed to re-enter the workforce.
Regarding if Starmer would remain Labour’s leader through to the general election, she replied firmly: “Yes.”
Last week, a prominent Labour backbencher was quoted saying that the party faces only two paths forward in the welfare row — either ousting Starmer or replacing Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose economic stewardship has also come under scrutiny in recent days.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, often named as a possible successor to Starmer, stirred further speculation when he declined to rule out future leadership ambitions during a Sunday interview. However, he dismissed the current speculation as “mischief making.”
Ms Phillipson used the opportunity to remind critics of what Labour has already delivered. “We’ve achieved an awful lot in a short space of time,” she said, citing new free breakfast clubs in 750 schools, an increased minimum wage, the widening of free school meal eligibility, and a sweeping expansion of funded childcare hours. These, she said, are “all big changes that will make a tremendous difference.”
She emphasized that while these reforms take time to be fully felt in communities, they represent a fundamental shift in governance that wouldn’t be possible under a Conservative or Reform-led administration. “All of the changes we’re delivering right now around children, their life chances and support for families would not be happening with a Conservative or a Reform government,” she stressed.
Ms Phillipson also sought to reaffirm Labour’s electoral mandate, gained in last summer’s landslide victory. She said the party was laser-focused on implementing the changes voters were promised. “I know people want to see it in their lives and their communities, on their streets, in their families,” she noted. “And what you’ll see in the months and years to come is delivery from this government.”
As the welfare vote looms, all eyes remain on Starmer and whether he can navigate the political turbulence while maintaining party unity.
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