Prime minister’s benefit cuts U-turn leaves backbenchers feeling bruised

“What an absolute bloody shambles!”

When we tell you that this is the unvarnished view of a Labour MP now willing to back the Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s benefits plans, you get a sense of how much anger this row has provoked and is still provoking.

And there are still plenty who are not happy and still either pushing for further changes or planning to vote against the measures.

“It is not the resolution lots of people want. They are tinkering with a broken bill,” another MP tells us.

After backbench Labour MPs revolted against the government’s proposed welfare reforms, the prime minister made concessions, saying the stricter criteria would only apply to new claimants.

“Clearly some at least will have been pacified by the concessions but…