Keir Starmer backtracked on most of his welfare reforms in a bid to avoid a damaging rebellion that threatened to inflict a first defeat on the UK prime minister.

Sir Keir Starmer has been forced to abandon a key plank of his welfare reform package in the face of a Labour rebellion.The Government has shelved plans to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip) and any changes will now only come after a review of the benefit.

Keir Starmer has suffered a major rebellion by Labour MPs against welfare cuts which are set to push 150,000 people into poverty. In a major blow to the prime minister’s authority, dozens of his own backbenchers voted against the PM’s flagship Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill.