Starmer Brutally Mocked After Shambolic Welfare U-Turn: 'Epic Political Mismanagement'

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's authority is hanging by a thread after last night's rebellion.

Keir Starmer has been ridiculed by his online critics after he was forced into an eleventh hour U-turn over his welfare reforms last night.

The government’s plan to cut Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments (PIP) was met with fury by Labour backbenchers in recent weeks.

Labour MPs ended up banding together to set up a rebellion so large that Downing Street feared the proposals would not be voted through parliament – even though the government has a working majority of 165 MPs.

So, the prime minister had to introduce not one but two rounds of concessions to the bill to win the rebels over.

The watered down legislation was voted through on its second reading in the Commons on Tuesday, but at a very high cost to the prime minister and his authority over the party.

It certainly does not help that as leader of opposition, Starmer condemned Boris Johnson and the Tory government for lurching from “crisis to crisis and U-turn to U-turn”.

As the Labour leader wrote in 2020: “When they’ve notched up 12 U-turns and rising, the only conclusion is serial incompetence.”

Boris Johnson and his Government has lurched from crisis to crisis and U-turn to U-turn.

To correct one error, even two, might make sense.

But when they've notched up 12 U-turns and rising, the only conclusion is serial incompetence.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 2, 2020

It’s also a brutal way for the PM to ring in the anniversary of his landslide victory in the 2024 general election.

So it’s no wonder that social media quickly hit out at Starmer for his “epic” mismanagement....

The last time a government lost the second reading of a bill was 39 years ago, which is exactly how long Keir Starmer feels he’s been PM for pic.twitter.com/DEdHFIcB1o
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) July 1, 2025

The political ineptitude and mismanagement of this is epic. The whips office, the Downing St operation, and DWP should be hanging heads in shame. And truly disastrous for Keir Starmer and what’s left of his authority https://t.co/xC7Fh64CuG
— Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) July 1, 2025

MPs vote to approve (what's left of) the welfare bill by 335 to 260

One of the most shambolic days I can remember in Parliament. Up there with the worst of the Johnson era
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) July 1, 2025

Yet another U-turn from Keir Surrender: he’s agreed to scrap the entire PIPs section of the welfare bill. The backbench rebels have humiliated him.
— Andrew Neil (@afneil) July 1, 2025

What better way to mark my first year in office than with a disastrous shitshow of U-turns, rebellion and a good kick up the arse from my own party? #WelfareBill #WelfareReformBill
— Parody Keir Starmer (@Parody_PM) July 1, 2025

A Labour Govt that got into power after the Tories imploded.
A giant majority that can't get behind a bill.
Liz Kendall's career is finished.
Keir Starmer must be made to realise he cannot show his face in public ever again, he has to go.
Morgan McSweeney is an amateur with zero…
— EuropeanPowell (@EuropeanPowell) July 2, 2025

And there’s no guarantee that this is rock bottom, either.

Instead, the shambles of the last few days may have just taught rebels – and campaigners – that the government can be swayed if only they’re pushed hard enough...