The head of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has publicly called on Labour MPs to vote against the government’s proposed cuts to benefits, marking a significant intervention from within the party’s trade union base.
Steve Wright, who became FBU General Secretary earlier this year, is the first leader of a Labour-affiliated union to urge a rebellion against the welfare reform plans. In a strongly worded statement, Wright criticised the cuts, saying they unfairly target society’s most vulnerable.
“The most vulnerable and poorest in society are being asked to pay for a crisis they didn’t cause,” Wright said. “I don’t believe that is why people are involved in the Labour movement.”
He warned that the proposed changes could lead to “the normalisation of the cost of living crisis” and urged MPs to reject the reforms outright.
The government’s benefits overhaul, expected to be voted on next month, is aimed at saving approximately £5 billion annually by 2030. It includes tighter eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and significant changes to Universal Credit.
Notably, from April 2026:
- Under-22s will no longer be eligible for the health-related element of Universal Credit.
- The health top-up for new claimants will drop from £97 to £50 per week.
- A new top-up for the most severely affected individuals will be introduced.
While the government insists these changes are necessary to reduce welfare costs and incentivise employment, the proposals have sparked anxiety among many Labour backbenchers. At least 27 Labour MPs have already publicly stated they will vote against the reforms.
Despite internal dissent, Labour’s large majority in Parliament means the measures are still expected to pass.
The FBU, which reaffiliated with the Labour Party in 2015 after a decade-long break, is one of eleven trade unions formally connected to Labour. Wright’s comments are likely to increase pressure on Sir Keir Starmer from within the party’s traditional base.
The Labour leadership has not yet responded directly to Wright’s appeal, though the issue of welfare reform has become a growing point of tension within the party’s broader support network.
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