Labour party opponents of the UK government’s £5 billion ($6.8 billion) cut to disability benefits have secured enough support to block the plan, setting up a high-stakes test of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership less than a year into office.

A quarter of Scottish Labour MPs have joined a rebellion against UK government's controversial welfare reforms. Nine out of the party's 37 parliamentarians, including the chair of the Scottish affairs committee, have signed an amendment that would potentially allow them to block controversial changes to the benefits system.

More Labour MPs have signalled they are willing to rebel over the Government’s welfare cuts after Sir Keir Starmer declared he would “press on” with next week’s vote. Overall, 134 MPs are now backing an amendment that would effectively threaten the Government’s proposed changes,