Labour MP Sparks Outrage with Comment on Welfare Cuts: ‘A Lot of People with Disabilities Are Very Able’

Labour’s Rachel Reeves might have stirred up a storm with her £4.8 billion welfare cuts, but not everyone in the party is shying away from backing her. In fact, one MP is doubling down and making it clear he thinks it’s time to shift the conversation.

Mike Tapp, the new MP for Dover and Deal, told The Express he’s all for a welfare system that focuses more on what people can do rather than what they can’t. “We need to assess abilities as well as disability, and ensure that if you can work, you are. That’s morally right not just for the country but also for those people,” he said, reported the Express.

Tapp, who has a military background and ran a security business before entering politics, isn’t mincing his words. “A lot of people with disabilities are very able,” he added. “I don’t think it’s fair that people are trapped in a welfare net, and the fact that it’s called a net says a lot.”

The backlash against Reeves’ welfare shake-up has been fierce. Labour’s proposed cuts, unveiled in the Spring Statement, could impact around 3.2 million families. It’s a move that’s caused a serious wobble in the polls, with Labour now trailing behind both the Conservatives and Reform UK.

But Tapp seems unfazed by the noise, suggesting the reaction isn’t quite as bad on the ground as some headlines suggest. “On the doors it hasn’t really come up, in emails, we had a bit of an influence, but the majority of those aren’t people who are impacted by it – it’s more the principle of it that they might not like.”

For Tapp, the issue is less about taking support away and more about providing a way out. He says it’s about “giving people a ladder out” of what he calls the welfare “net.” He insists the government should focus on making sure “that those who can work have the opportunity to work.”

He’s also pushing the idea of putting British workers first. “What we really need to be seeing is British jobs for British workers so we are benefiting the economy as well.”

Whether his message will resonate with voters remains to be seen, especially as Labour tries to hold its ground against a rising Reform UK. But one thing’s for sure – Tapp’s comments show not all Labour MPs are sticking to the same script.