Welfare reform is still supposedly going ahead, despite the government’s significant retreat on the issue.

Almost everyone at Westminster accepts the disability benefits bill is growing unsustainably, at horrendous social and economic cost.

Even the Labour rebels who voted against the government on Tuesday opened their motion with the words “this House, whilst noting the need for the reform of the social security system, and agreeing with the government’s principles for providing support to people into work…”

It was the failure to provide support that caused the rebellion.

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Labour has a proper reform plan, which it worked out in opposition and adopted on entering office last summer – only for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to steamroller over it with short-sighted Treasury cuts.

She has responded to the rebellion by changing tactics rather than strategy, proposing different short-sighted cuts, so it is likely there will be more revolts and chaos until she is removed.

But........

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