2024 suspension of rebel Labour MPs

On 23 July 2024, the British Labour Party withdrew the whip from 7 of its MPs who had supported an amendment tabled by the Scottish National Party Westminster leader Stephen Flynn to scrap the two child benefit cap. ^[1] MPs rejected the SNP amendment by 363 votes to 103.

The seven Labour MPs suspended for six months were John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana, who now sit as independents but remain members of the Labour party.

Background

The benefit cap is a UK welfare policy that limits the amount in state benefits that an individual household can claim per year. It was introduced by the Cameron–Clegg coalition government in 2013 ^[2] as part of the coalition government's wide-reaching welfare reform agenda which included the introduction of Universal Credit and reforms of housing benefit and disability benefits. The government cited wide public support for the measure, despite it being highly controversial. ^[3] The benefit cap primarily affects families with children, high rents, or both. ^[4] By 2024, two-thirds of the families affected by the cap were single-parent families, half of which had a child under five. ^[5]

A two-child policy restricting child tax credit and universal credit was introduced in 2017. It limits these benefits to the first two children in most households, and is referred to as the "two-child benefit cap". ^[6] These two benefit caps form part of a set of three benefits policies designed by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, as part of the United Kingdom government austerity programme. The third policy, introduced in 2013, was known as the bedroom tax. ^[5]

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have refused to scrap the benefit cap since entering government, citing financial reasons. ^{[7] [8] [9]} Starmer has, however, launched a Child Poverty Taskforce, in which expert officials from across government would work together on how best to support more than four-million children living in poverty. ^[10]

Amendment

On 23 July 2024, Labour withdrew the whip from 7 of its MPs who had supported an amendment tabled by the Scottish National Party (SNP)'s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn to scrap it, with Flynn stating that scrapping the cap would immediately raise 300,000 children out of poverty. MPs rejected the SNP amendment by 363 votes to 103. ^[11]

The seven Labour MPs suspended for six months were John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana, all of whom subsequently sat as independents.

See also

• Independent Alliance (UK)

References

1. "Labour suspends seven rebel MPs over two-child benefit cap". BBC News. 23 July 2024.
2. "'Thousands' hit by government benefit cap now in work". BBC News. 6 February 2014.
3. Kennedy, Steven; Wilson, Wendy; Apostolova, Vyara; Keen, Richard (21 November 2016). The Benefit Cap (Report). House of Commons Library. pp. 3, 8–9, 14. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
4. Emmerson, Carl; Joyce, Robert (20 April 2023). "What impact did lowering the benefit cap have?". The Institute for Fiscal Studies.
5. Butler, Patrick (31 July 2024). "Benefit cap traps families in crowded, rat-infested homes, report finds". The Guardian.
6. Lawrie, E., Two-child benefit cap: 'Every month is a struggle', BBC News, published 31 January 2024, accessed 17 June 2024
7. Byron, Daniel (17 July 2023). "Sir Kid Starver: Starmer's got a new nickname thanks to Twitter users". The National. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
8. Patrick, Holly (18 July 2023). "Keir Starmer nicknamed 'Sir Kid Starver' over Labour plans to keep two-child benefit cap". The Independent. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
9. "Rachel Reeves doubles down on refusal to scrap two-child benefit cap". The Independent. 21 July 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
10. "Starmer sets up taskforce for 4m UK children in poverty". BBC News. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
11. "Labour suspends seven rebel MPs over two-child benefit cap". BBC News. 23 July 2024.