Minister refuses to rule out more benefit cuts amid backlash over Liz Kendall move to slash disability payments – UK politics live

Stephen Timms, social security and disability minister, says ‘who knows what will happen in next five years’ as welfare bill is increasing even with cuts

Neil Findlay, a former Labour MSP, has resigned from the party over the disability benefit cuts.

In an open letter to Keir Starmer posted on social media, he says government claims that the cuts are motivated by the desire to get more sick and disabled people back into work are “lies”. He goes on:

Of course people who can work should work - no one is questioning that - but for my relatives, friends and neighbours, and your constituents who have the misfortune to suffer from a chronic, debilitating, long-term condition that leaves them bed-bound, unable to leave their home or crushed by mental illness, these cuts will not motivate them to get back to work, it will instead scare and humiliate them and strip them of their dignity and self respect and for some it will send them to an early grave. The blame for this will lie squarely with you and the sycophants within your party who passively support these dreadful cuts.

Although small numbers in the sample point to the need for caution, 16 to 24-year-olds represent Reform’s strongest voter group by age.

This is not unique to Scotland. Across the UK and Europe, far right parties today appear able to capture support from young people to levels normally associated with the far left.