Welfare Bill Passes, But At What Cost?

Newscast

BBC

Politics, News

4.4 • 6.4K Ratings

🗓️ 1 July 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today, MPs have narrowly voted in favour of the government’s welfare bill.

The controversial legislation passed after a series of last minute concessions by the government, but 49 Labour MPs still rebelled.

Adam and Chris discuss what changes were made, how the government failed to manage the rebellion, and the political blow the prime minister has taken.

Plus, three former senior staff at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. A seperate investigation was opened into the senior leadership team at the Countess of Chester hospital after Lucy Letby was convicted of murder and attempted murder in 2023.

Adam is joined by BBC Social Affairs Correspondent Michael Buchanan.

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New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1 Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Anna Harris. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:04.6	The right, 335. The nose to the left, 260.
0:12.2	And that is why we're doing a slightly later episode of newscast on Tuesday, because MPs were voting for the first time on the government's welfare proposals.
0:22.6	The proposals went through, but with a massive rebellion by Labourback benches, the biggest of Keir-Starmour's first year in office,
0:30.6	and also as a result of him junking a huge chunk of what the reforms were.
0:35.6	It's been really quite a day in Parliament,
0:38.1	and we will catch up with Chris Mason to find out what it's been like there on the ground.
0:42.2	And actually what this means for Keir Stormer's next few years as Prime Minister on this episode of Newscast.
0:48.3	Newscast from the BBC.
0:50.7	He has just compared me to the fat controller.
0:53.6	Did I say that?
0:55.1	I can't believe I said that.
0:56.5	Next Wednesday.
0:57.3	This is R for the benefit of Earth.
0:59.8	I'm not personally a huge Sabrina Carpenter fan.
1:02.8	I don't think I'm being rude.
1:04.2	I like landscapes.
1:05.4	Take me down to Downey Street.
1:07.1	Let's go have a tour.
1:08.8	Blimey.
1:13.6	Hello? Let's go have a tour. Blimey. Hello, it's Adam in the newscast studio and I can hear Chris dashing into the newscast studio at Westminster.
1:19.6	Oh, oh, are we, it's wrong.
	...

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