Labour will be pushed to axe two-child benefit cap, says John McDonnell

John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor, believes that Labour will be forced to take action to eliminate the "unjustifiable" two-child benefit limit after Keir Starmer suspended him and six other MPs for their first act of defiance against the new government.

Many Members of Parliament were surprised and upset by the suspensions, with one suspended MP stating that she felt her history of domestic abuse was being used against her by party leaders. The Labour party denied these claims.

In an article for the Guardian, McDonnell stated that the uprising was not a planned effort to sabotage the government by supporting the SNP amendment. Instead, he explained that it was a sincere moral decision for lawmakers representing areas with significant child poverty.

"The severity of the danger shows how important the problem really is," he explained. McDonnell and others, who were punished by having their privileges taken away for six months due to their vote on the king's speech amendment, also expressed strong concerns about the government's child poverty taskforce, which was announced before the vote.

McDonnell thinks that the uprising and the spotlight it has put on child poverty will force the government to deal with the cap. This makes it much more probable that it will be eliminated.

Starmer's political representative verified that the prime minister was informed about the decision. "We have been transparent about our stance on the restriction on benefits for families with more than two children, and the reasons for not promising to abolish it during the election and afterwards," she explained.

"We understand the current economic situation we have been left with, so we will not promise things we cannot deliver. It is a significant decision to go against the party's stance on the king's speech."

Earlier this week, it was mentioned by the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, that the taskforce would think about getting rid of the limit, along with other possible choices, and this was supported by the prime minister.

However, the government announced on Wednesday that there was no specific deadline for the taskforce to submit their report before the anticipated October budget. Members of parliament expressed their worries about the lack of a defined official role for charities like Save the Children and Barnardo's, who were consulted by the taskforce and support removing the cap.

"We have been inquiring repeatedly, but up until now, we have not been given a specific timeframe, clear guidelines, or a list of people involved," a member of parliament remarked. "Several charities have not received any updates either. It seems like the taskforce was established just to delay decisions and see what recommendations they come up with."

McDonnell explained that one of the main reasons he refused to change his decision on the vote was because he believed the issue of not removing the cap was not due to lack of funding or the timeline for implementation by the taskforce.

On the contrary, there is concern that the party strategists working behind the scenes were more focused on the polls and feedback from focus groups. They noticed that the cap was favored by certain potential supporters and were hesitant to risk losing their support, even if it meant neglecting hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty.

The Labour party has announced that they will soon provide details about how long the taskforce will run for and what topics it will cover. The taskforce will also include input from outside experts.

McDonnell rejected the idea that voting for the amendment and losing the whip was pointless or just for show. He argued that MPs were showing their commitment to their beliefs by being willing to take a risk and stand up for what they think is right.

In addition to McDonnell, Labour also removed Rebecca Long-Bailey, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, and Zarah Sultana from their positions. Kim Johnson, the MP for Liverpool Riverside, expressed her disappointment with the party leadership's decisions after she did not support the SNP's amendment despite proposing her own about eliminating the two-child limit.

She suggested that it is important for them to consider the decision, its reasons, and the process behind it. She emphasized the importance of understanding if this will set a precedent for limiting future debates or challenges. As elected representatives, it is our duty to advocate for our constituents. If there are concerns that the party is not prioritizing the needs of the most vulnerable, what options do we have to address this?

Several Members of Parliament expressed frustration with how the issue was dealt with, noting that it was not just limited to those on the left of the party. Some MPs mentioned concerns about Starmer's team, suggesting that the decision to remove the whip from certain individuals seemed like a way to intimidate new MPs.

Begum explained to Times Radio that she mentioned her past as a victim of domestic violence and claimed that she was threatened during her campaign when speaking with party officials.

She felt that her past experiences were being used against her in this situation, claiming that the support she received as a survivor of domestic abuse was dependent on her voting choices.

A representative from the Labour party stated: "We are not acknowledging these accusations."

Sultana explained to ITV's Good Morning Britain earlier in the day that she and her coworkers had experienced a "test of masculinity and toughness".

However, former Labour MP Jon Ashworth stated that while the cap was seen as cruel and awful, it was justified for the rebels to be suspended from the party on such a significant issue as the Labour government's inaugural king's speech. He believes that it is crucial for them to support the Labour stance in parliamentary votes and not side with the opposition.