July 23rd 2024.
A group of Labour MPs have been suspended by party leader Keir Starmer following a small-scale rebellion over the controversial two-child benefit cap. Among those suspended are Richard Burgon, Apsana Begum, Ian Byrne, Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell, Imran Hussain, and Zarah Sultana.
This marks the first rebellion under Starmer's leadership as prime minister, drawing attention to one of the most pressing issues facing his new government. During the recent election campaign, Starmer and his shadow ministers had maintained that they could not immediately reverse the policy, which restricts additional support for parents on universal credit with three or more children. However, pressure has been mounting from various groups, including charities, campaigners, and even politicians from opposing parties such as former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
The House of Commons recently voted on an amendment to the King's Speech proposed by the SNP, which highlighted the government's failure to include immediate measures to abolish the two-child benefit limit. While the amendment was ultimately rejected, seven Labour MPs voted in favor of it, including Begum, Burgon, Byrne, Hussain, Long-Bailey, McDonnell, and Sultana. In response, Starmer promptly removed the whip from these MPs, less than three weeks after the general election.
All of the suspended MPs are considered to be on the left of the party, with many having previously served in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet. McDonnell, who was Corbyn's shadow chancellor, explained before the vote that he was following Starmer's example of putting the country before party. Within minutes of the vote, the seven MPs had their whip removed by the Labour leader.
Sultana, who voted in favor of scrapping the two-child benefit cap, took to social media to express her disappointment in the decision. She stated that she was informed by the Chief Whip and the Labour Party leadership that her whip had been withdrawn, but she remains committed to standing up for the most vulnerable in society.
Begum, another suspended MP, also expressed her disappointment on social media, stating that she voted against the two-child benefit cap as she believes it contributes to rising levels of child poverty and food insecurity among families in her constituency.
These suspensions serve as an early indication of Starmer's strict discipline within the party, which he emphasized throughout the election campaign. Prior to the vote, Starmer acknowledged the passion of his MPs but stressed that there is no easy solution to ending child poverty in the UK.
The SNP's Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, criticized Labour for failing its first major test in government by not delivering meaningful change from years of Conservative rule. He also argued that the two-child cap is now the responsibility of the Labour government, and they must take ownership of the harm it is causing, including high levels of poverty in the UK.
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