Southport MP Patrick Hurley joins rebellion against welfare reforms

Plus: 'Jungle' fears for pensioners losing grass cutting service

Jun 25, 2025

∙ Paid

Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Southport Lead.

The election 13 months ago brought in a swathe of first-time Labour representatives and among them was Patrick Hurley, the party’s first ever Southport MP.

He was thrust in at the deep end when Southport became subject to the national and international spotlight after last summer’s horrific attack and subsequent riots. More recently, he has been able to welcome a promise of significant government funding for the reopening of Southport Pier and the transformation of the Town Hall Gardens in memory of Alice, Bebe and Elsie.

This week, he has joined dozens of the that 2024 intake, and more than 100 Labours MPs in total, in rebelling against the Government’s welfare reforms - a move which could have major consequences for the its plans.

That decision, along with the wider impacts of those proposed reforms, is the main story in today’s newsletter.

Southport MP rebels against government welfare reform

By Jamie Lopez

Patrick Hurley has joined more than 100 fellow Labour MPs in rebelling against the government’s proposed welfare reforms.

The Southport MP signed an amendment which would effectively kill the government’s controversial plans to make drastic cuts to Universal Credit (UC) and Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

Under the proposed changes, which the government says would save which ministers say will save £5bn by 2030, eligibility for PIP will become much stricter and potentially see

The UC reform will mean that under-22s with long-term illnesses or disabilities will no longer be able to claim a health top-up as part of their benefit receipt.

The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) own assessment estimates the changes will see 3.2m families lose out financially with an average loss of £1,720 per year. This includes 370,000 current Pip recipients who will no longer qualify and 430,000 future claimants who will get less than they would previously have been entitled to.

Like Hurley, a significant number of those rebelling are from the 2024 intake of Labour MPs. The Southport representative has so far chosen not to speak publicly about his decision but it comes after he held a local consultation on the matter, inviting responses from constituents and in particular disability organisations.

According to anti-poverty charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), there are 6,759 people in receipt of PIP or the health element of UC in Southport - 11.5% of the working-age population

This week, Hurley put his name to the amendment which if passed would give MPs a chance to vote on a proposal to reject the welfare reform bill in its entirety. If this occurred and the vote was won, it would mean the end of the proposed benefit cuts and force the government to start again.

Many of those objecting to the changes have stated they accept the need for changes to the welfare system but argue these are either not the right decisions or would not have the stated impact.

Indeed, estimates from the JRF and New Economics Foundation based on the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) own modelling find that these reforms would push between 300,000 and 400,000 people into poverty. This figure includes at least 50,000 children.

Ministers however argue this does not take into account its efforts to help long-term sick people back into work and other ways of reducing poverty.

A spokesperson for 10 Downing Street today said: “We recognise the strength of feeling on this issue. The government’s clear position is that we have inherited a fundamentally broken system that does not support people, that does not treat them with dignity and respect, and does not support people to work ... that is exactly why we are delivering one of the biggest packages of reforms, including scrapping the work capability assessment, rebalancing Universal Credit, investing £1 billion a year in tailored employment support.”

The full text of the amendment states:

“That 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 and protecting people who cannot work, declines to give a Second Reading to the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill.
“Because its provisions have not been subject to a formal consultation with disabled people, or co-produced with them, or their carers. Because the Office for Budget Responsibility is not due to publish its analysis of the employment impact of these reforms until the autumn of 2025.
“Because the majority of the additional employment support funding will not be in place until the end of the decade; because the Government’s own impact assessment estimates that 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of these provisions, including 50,000 children. Because the Government has not published an assessment of the impact of these reforms on health or care needs.
“Because the Government is still awaiting the findings of the Minister for Social Security and Disability’s review into the assessment for Personal Independence Payment and Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent review into the role of employers and government in boosting the employment of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.”

Traffic warning ahead of month-long road closure

Delays are expected when a Formby main road is closed for one month starting from next Monday (June 30).

Gas mains replacement works are planned for the section of Altcar Road between Church Road and Formby bypass and will cause traffic delays, according to a notice shared by Sefton Council.

The work will be carried out by Cadent who manage the gas supply in the area and engineers will be removing old pipes and replacing them with new ones. The energy firm said this will help support greener gas supplies in the future.

Cadent also warned customers to expect some disruption to their supply when works start: “We’ll have to turn off your gas supply during some of our works and may need access to your home, but our teams on site will be on hand to let you know more information.

The upgrade has been approved by the Highway Authority with digital signs in place to make motorists aware and to help them navigate the road.

‘Jungle’ fears for pensioners as garden cutting service withdrawn

By Elliot Jessett

Residents in Marshside are afraid their once ‘pristine’ neighbourhood will soon resemble a ‘jungle’ after a much-appreciated grass cutting service was recently withdrawn.

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