Boris Johnson abstaining on Universal Credit vote 'pathetic'

Keir Starmer in the House of Commons - Credit: Parliament Live

Sir Keir Starmer has called Boris Johnson “pathetic” for ordering Conservative MPs to abstain from a vote on extending a £20 weekly rise in Universal Credit, and said that “in their heart of hearts” Tories would back Labour’s move.

The prime minister was working to lessen the scale of a potential revolt from his within his own party as Labour uses an opposition day debate in the Commons on Monday to force a vote calling on the Government not to end the uplift, worth £1,000 a year.

Johnson was also facing pressure from the 65 Conservative MPs in the Northern Research Group (NRG) who said ending the increase in April as planned would be “devastating”.

The Labour leader told ITV’s Lorraine: “If he’s going to call it a stunt he (Johnson) should probably come with me to a food distribution centre to see these families this morning and explain to them what is a lifeline to them is a stunt, because it certainly isn’t from their point of view.

“I actually think in their heart of hearts quite a lot of Tory MPs know that cutting this money to people who desperately need it in the middle of a pandemic is the wrong thing to do, they know that, they probably want to vote with us but because of the tribal way we do politics, they can’t.

“The prime minister’s now saying in answer to the question: ‘do you think this uplift should stay or not?’ he’s saying: ‘I don’t want to say yes and I don’t want to say no, so we’re going to abstain.’ He’s got no view on whether it should stay or not – that’s pretty pathetic.”

The vote would not be binding on the government, but is being forced by Labour to demonstrate the strength of feeling over the cut in the Commons.