LONDON, UK: : Seven Labour MPs were suspended on Tuesday for supporting an opposition amendment to abolish the two-child benefit cap.
Among those suspended was former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who backed the Scottish National Party (SNP) motion along with the other MPs. This amendment sought to eliminate the policy preventing parents from claiming social benefits for more than two children. The motion was rejected with a vote count of 363 against and 103 in favor, resulting in the Labour Party securing a majority of 260.
The other suspended MPs—Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, and Zarah Sultana—will now sit with independent MPs in the House of Commons.
Despite many Labour MPs opposing the cap, they voted against the amendment alongside the party.
Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, criticized the government's approach to party discipline, telling the Guardian, “No MP should have lost the whip for their vote this evening, especially on a policy that almost everyone in Labour opposes. Our party has a huge majority. Suppose it is to govern from a position of strength, To govern effectively from a position of strength. In that case, it must tolerate disagreement without resorting to threats and severe punishments, as this does not foster a healthy culture.
Sultana announced on X that the amendment would "eliminate the two-child benefit cap, lifting 330,000 children out of poverty. I will always advocate for the most vulnerable in our society," she added.
Burgon also shared on X that the government's plan to eliminate child poverty "must involve removing this policy."
Begum shared on the platform that she voted against the two-child benefit cap, which has led to increasing levels of child poverty and food insecurity for many families in the East End. She said, "I have just been told that the whip has been taken away from me."
Removing the cap is estimated to cost the government £3.4 billion ($4.38 billion) annually. According to the House of Lords Library, the previous government estimated that 4.3 million children, or 30% of all children in the UK, were living in relatively low-income households.
