TORY leader Kemi Badenoch will attempt to inflict a humiliating defeat on Sir Keir Starmer by ordering her MPs to vote against the sickness welfare cuts.

The Conservatives will team up with Labour rebels in a bid to defeat the package, which is expected to shave £5billion off the bloated benefits bill.

Around 100 Labour MPs have signed a letter to Sir Keir warning that they will not support his cuts when the vote comes before Parliament later this month.

The PM has a working majority of 165, while the Tories have 120 MPs.

It means that if the Conservatives team up with a large band of Labour rebels they could inflict a defeat.

The Tories will oppose the plans on the basis that the cuts do not go far enough.

A government source said: “We could lose the vote if the Tories team up with Labour MPs to vote against the measures.

“The rebellion is going to be awful. There will be MPs in tears. It will breed some real resentment towards No10 and it could even cause a permanent rift.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has claimed the reforms will get more people into work and ­protect the benefits system.

Speaking earlier this month, she said: “Unless we reform the system to help those who can work to do so, unless we get social security spending on a more sustainable footing . . .the risk is the welfare state won’t be there for people who really need it in future.”

Britain’s welfare bill has ballooned since Covid.

According to official estimates, taxpayers will have to pay a staggering £70billion a year on working-age sickness and disability benefits by 2030.