Many MPs will feel that pushing people in to poverty to balance the books is not what they came into politics to do
This week may come to be the moment when Keir Starmer’s reputation as the hard man of the Labour party was tested to its limits. How far is the prime minister really prepared to push his MPs?
He has the raw numbers to do whatever he chooses – there is no chance of the changes being halted in parliament – but the consequences of forcing his MPs to swallow harsh welfare cuts affecting millions of people will be long-lasting.