Hartlepool Labour MP Explains Why He Failed to Vote on Welfare Reform Bill – After Previously Pledging to Defy Labour Whip.
- teessidetoday
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
The Labour MP for Hartlepool was one of just 45 MP's who chose not to vote in yesterdays commons vote on welfare reform despite previously telling locals he was against the proposals...
2nd July 2025
Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash has come under heavy fire for abstaining on the Government’s controversial Welfare Reform Bill, despite earlier pledging that he was prepared to defy his party and vote against it.
Brash, who just weeks ago told voters he was prepared to “lose the Labour whip” over planned cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIP), has now quietly backed away from that stance—abstaining on the second reading of the bill instead of honouring his promise to stand against it.
“I could not and would not support cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIP)... I was prepared to vote against the Bill if these cuts remained,” Brash said in a statement released Monday night.
However, despite claiming “victory” for supposed government u-turns, Brash’s decision to sit on the fence has gone down poorly with many in Hartlepool, where public confidence in the Labour MP appears to be collapsing.
A Public Backlash Brewing
For many in the town, this isn’t just a betrayal—it’s a confirmation of Brash’s growing political unreliability. Voters were led to believe he would be one of the few Labour voices to take a stand on behalf of disabled constituents and those most affected by the governments proposed welfare reforms. Instead, they were met with a masterclass in political spin that would have made former MP’s such as Peter Mandelson blush: claiming credit for government concessions, refusing to support the bill, but then avoiding the actual vote when it mattered the most.
On social media and local forums, the backlash against the Labour MP has been swift.
Comments from former supporters suggest Brash is rapidly losing the trust of ordinary people in Hartlepool, who feel abandoned at a critical moment.
Reform UK Stands Firm
In a sharp contrast to Labour’s internal confusion, its claimed all but one Reform UK MPs reportedly voted against the bill, keeping their promises to constituents and taking a firm line on defending Britain’s most vulnerable.
Brash’s refusal to vote—despite saying he’d be willing to be thrown out of the party over the issue—will likely haunt him come the next election, particularly if Reform’s rising popularity continues in Red Wall seats like Hartlepool.
