'I doubt many members in this chamber have personal experience of the cruel welfare system. I do': What Stourbridge MP told Commons as she voted against Starmer's welfare plans

Cat Eccles, MP for Stourbridge, was one of 47 Labour MPs who voted against the welfare bill at its third reading.

She joined 'mother of the house' Diane Abbott, former minister Dawn Butler, and former shadow minister Andy McDonald in continuing to oppose the bill, which was passed by 336 votes to 242, a majority 94.

The Government had watered down its welfare plans last week by removing the personal independence payment (Pip) part of the Bill in a bid to appease angry backbenchers.

Despite this, a number of Labour MPs remained unhappy with the now-called Universal Credit Bill.

In an emotional eight-minute speech, Miss Eccles - who is also a Dudley councillor - said not a day went by without her hearing from a constituent with an issue relating to benefits or health. 

"I doubt many honourable members in this chamber have personal experience of the cruel welfare system. I do," she told the Commons.

"I first became ill at work with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which is a heart condition. Not long after, I suffered a pulmonary embolism and almost lost my life. That was followed by a total mental breakdown. Punitive sickness policies meant I was soon being managed out of the job I loved so much by human resources, which refused to acknowledge the recommendations of occupational health."

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Miss Eccles told MPs she received £690 a month in universal credit for about a year, which did not cover her rent and bills, putting her at risk of losing her home. 

"Thankfully, I had friends and family to support me, but not everyone is that fortunate," she said.

"My confidence plummeted, and the feelings of failure, rejection and uselessness at not being able to sustain myself were all-consuming. 

"Nobody chooses this life. In fact, just yesterday the United Nations wrote to the Government stating that the rhetoric, language and false statements used when discussing welfare is damaging, as well as raising concerns about human rights violations."

Miss Eccles said despite the Government shelving its plans to cut Pip, it was still unclear what will eventually happen to the benefit following a review by social security minister Sir Stephen Timms.

She said it was imperative that MPs had oversight of the Sir Stephen's review before it was implemented.

"In my constituency of Stourbridge, many people have thanked me over the past few days for voting against this flawed bill last week - not just disabled people and their families and carers, but charity workers, work coaches, nurses and local authority staff," she said.

"Nobody supports this bill: not deaf and disabled people’s groups; not charities; and not health organisations. Not even the United Nations supports it. Let me be clear: the system needs reform and none of us disagrees that it needs to change.

"Labour campaigned on that promise in our manifesto, and I was proud to tell voters on the doorstep that we would be fixing social security and making it easier for people to claim, but the Bill before us does not do that."

She said one in three people would become disabled at some point in their lives, and wanted to ensure that no one was left in poverty. 

"Seventy-five per cent. of universal credit health claimants experience material deprivation and already live deep in poverty. I did not come here to make people worse off, and that is why I still cannot support this bill."

Speaking in the Commons, Neil Duncan-Jordan, the Poole MP, said the Government’s earlier concessions were not enough “because this Bill still contains a proposal to cut £2 billion from the universal credit health element for over 750,000 future claims”.

Stella Creasy, who cut her political teeth working in the office of former Dudley North MP Sir Ross Cranston, tabled an amendment which would have required the Work and Pensions Secretary to show due regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Walthamstow MP said her new clause four would aim to “ensure that people can live a life of freedom equally alongside us as our fellow human beings” and that “disabled people in our communities can meet their living expenses”.

Here is a full list of Labour MPs who voted against the Bill at third reading:

Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington), Rosena Allin-Khan (Tooting), Paula Barker (Liverpool Wavertree), Lee Barron (Corby and East Northamptonshire), Lorraine Beavers (Blackpool North and Fleetwood), Olivia Blake (Sheffield Hallam), Chris Bloore (Redditch), Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool), Richard Burgon (Leeds East), Maureen Burke (Glasgow North East), Dawn Butler (Brent East), Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby), Irene Campbell (North Ayrshire and Arran), Stella Creasy (Walthamstow), Marsha De Cordova (Battersea), Peter Dowd (Bootle), Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole), Cat Eccles (Stourbridge), Mary Kelly Foy (City of Durham), Barry Gardiner (Brent West), Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith), Mary Glindon (Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend), Chris Hinchliff (North East Hertfordshire), Alison Hume (Scarborough and Whitby), Imran Hussain (Bradford East), Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside), Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington), Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth), Emma Lewell (South Shields), Clive Lewis (Norwich South), Rebecca Long Bailey (Salford), Rachael Maskell (York Central), Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East), Navendu Mishra (Stockport), Abtisam Mohamed (Sheffield Central), Grahame Morris (Easington), Margaret Mullane (Dagenham and Rainham), Simon Opher (Stroud), Kate Osborne (Jarrow and Gateshead East), Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Clapham and Brixton Hill), Marie Rimmer (St Helens South and Whiston), Euan Stainbank (Falkirk), Graham Stringer (Blackley and Middleton South), Jon Trickett (Normanton and Hemsworth), Derek Twigg (Widnes and Halewood), Nadia Whittome (Nottingham East), Mohammad Yasin (Bedford).