Labour suspends seven rebel MPs over two-child benefit cap

Rebecca Long-Bailey and John McDonnell, who used to be members of Jeremy Corbyn's team, were part of the seven people who voted against the government.

Seven Labour Members of Parliament have had their privileges temporarily taken away for six months after going against the government and voting on a change to remove the restriction on benefits for families with more than two children.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell was one of the Labour MPs who supported an SNP proposal to stop the policy that restricts most parents from receiving Universal Credit or child tax credit for more than two children.

Mr. McDonnell supported the SNP proposal together with Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, and Zarah Sultana.

Members of Parliament voted against the SNP proposal by a margin of 363 to 103, marking a significant challenge to the power of the recently elected Labour administration.

Being stripped of the whip results in the MPs being barred from the party in parliament and they will now serve as independent MPs.

Most of the rebels were supporters of the ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is now an independent MP and signed the SNP motion.

Ms Sultana revealed on BBC Radio 4's Today show that she was not informed she would be expelled from the party if she supported the amendment.

Nevertheless, she stated that this would not have influenced her choice.

The Coventry South representative disagreed with the idea that there was not enough money to eliminate the cap, suggesting that implementing a wealth tax could be a possible solution.

"This is all about determination from the government," she stated.

Mr Burgon expressed his disappointment with the suspension, stating that he had been approached by numerous families in his Leeds East constituency who were facing financial difficulties due to the imposed cap.

Ms. Begum explained that she voted against the cap because she believed it was causing child poverty and food insecurity to increase for families in the East End.

On the other hand, Mr Byrne stated that the most effective method to assist his constituents in poverty in Liverpool West Derby would be to eliminate the cap.

Prior to the vote, Mr. McDonnell expressed his reluctance to support amendments proposed by other parties. However, he noted that he was choosing to follow Keir Starmer's lead in prioritizing the interests of the country over those of his own party.

But Jonathan Ashworth, who used to be a member of the Labour shadow cabinet and played a significant role in the party's campaign for the election, stated that voting for the amendment was pointless.

After losing his seat in the election to a pro-Gaza independent candidate, Mr. Ashworth shared with the BBC that the government does have some sympathy for the cause.

A child poverty review has been announced. The best way to make a difference is not through political maneuvers, but by participating in the review.

The choice to take away the whip is a quick display of power from the fresh government.

This marks their initial act of defiance. Despite its modest scale, Labour leaders are working to make it clear to members of parliament that opposition during votes will not be accepted.

Yet, there are numerous Labour Members of Parliament who disagree with the two-child benefit limit.

Lots of people are optimistic that the party will soon decide to get rid of it.

According to an official from the government, Labour's stance on the two-child benefit limit was established before the election. The promises outlined in the Labour manifesto were also straightforward.

The government has stated that it is unwilling to eliminate the cap without adequate funding.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has mentioned before that there is no easy solution to end child poverty, but he does recognize the strong commitment of Labour MPs to tackle this issue.

The leader of the Labour Party in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, as well as the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, have both supported the idea for a change.

Mr. Burnham said on Tuesday's BBC Newsnight that there is clear proof that it indeed causes harm.

However, he also urged for all members of the party to come together and mentioned that the government needs to be allowed sufficient time and freedom to develop a strategy to decrease poverty.

The government inherited a very bad economic situation, he also said.

Kim Johnson and Rosie Duffield, along with 17 other Labour MPs, signed a new proposal asking for the cap to be lifted. However, this proposal was not brought to a vote in the end.

A few well-known critics of the cap, such as Ian Lavery and Nadia Whittome, who supported alternative amendments, chose not to participate in the vote.

Long-time Labour member and longest-serving female MP Diane Abbott did not participate in the vote for personal reasons. In a statement, she expressed shock at the suspension of MPs for going against party policy on removing the cap.

Emma Lewell-Buck, a Member of Parliament for South Shields with the Labour Party, added her name to a rebellious amendment. She explained that she did not vote against the government because none of the votes happening that night would have actually led to removing the cap.

She mentioned in a post on social media that there will be an Autumn Budget coming up. She also stated that she and her colleagues will be collaborating with the government to ensure that removing the cap is included in the budget.

Even with the opposition, Sir Keir successfully overcame the initial challenge of his leadership by getting the King's Speech approved.

Labor successfully opposed a Conservative proposal to add changes to the King's Speech that supported Tory viewpoints on defense spending, illegal immigration, and reducing inflation. The vote resulted in Labor winning with 384 votes against the Conservative's 117 votes.

An amendment proposed by the Liberal Democrats, which aimed to prioritize issues in the healthcare and social care system, sewage dumping, and electoral reform, was rejected by a vote of 382 to 85. Despite receiving backing from Reform UK, the Green Party, and parties from Wales and Northern Ireland, the amendment was not successful.

Opposition parties typically attempt to modify the King's Speech by adding their own priorities for the upcoming parliament, but they rarely achieve success.

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, lifting the limit on benefits for families with more than two children could lead to the government spending an additional £3.4 billion annually. This amount would make up approximately 3% of the total budget allocated for benefits for working-age individuals.