Keir Starmer suspended a group of serial Labour welfare rebels today as he tried to reassert his authority over his fractious backbenchers.
Rachel Maskell, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff and Neil Duncan-Jordan were stripped of the whip this afternoon for ‘persistent breaches of party discipline’.
Ms Maskell, the York Central MP, was a leading figure in the rebellion last month that forced the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rachel Reeves to all-but abandon plans to trim the UK’s spending on disability hand-outs.
And the others have all clashed with the government over welfare and other issues including Net Zero and relaxing planning rules.
Additionally, three other MPs, former shadow minister Rosena Allin Khan, plus Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin, have been stripped of their roles as trade envoys.
The timing of the disciplinary action comes as Westminster was easing itself into its summer break, which starts next week.
But while it shows Sir Keir is unafraid to act it also risks a civil war within Labour ranks simmering in the weeks ahead.
The action comes weeks after backbenchers managed to water down plans to cut the UK’s massive disability benefit bill.
And earlier this month, former Labour MP Zarah Sultana formally quit the party and said she would link up with ex-leader Jeremy Corbyn in a new hard Left party.
Ms Maskell said she had been suspended for ‘standing up for my constituents’ over welfare reform.
She said she was ‘not angry’ but ‘upset that we are in this place because I believe we are better than that as a party. I believe that strength comes from the backbenches.’
Ms Maskell urged the Prime Minister to engage with his backbenchers, saying she wanted to see ‘bridges built’ and this would ‘make him a better Prime Minister.’
Mr Duncan-Jordan, the MP for Poole in Dorset, had consistently refused to toe the line on a range of issues, while Alloa and Grangemouth’s Mr Leishman had also criticised plans to close a local oil refinery.
Mr Hinchliff, the North East Hertfordshire MP, has attacked Angela Rayner’s planning reform that would make it easier to build on the green belt, and rebelled over welfare cuts.
Mr Duncan-Jordan confirmed he had been suspended, telling the Politics Home website: ‘Since being elected I have consistently spoken up for my constituents on a range of issues, including most recently on cuts to disability benefits.
‘I understood this could come at a cost, but I couldn’t support making disabled people poorer.
‘Although I’ve been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party today, I’ve been part of the Labour and trade union movement for 40 years and remain as committed as ever to its values.
‘To my constituents: it’s business as usual. I remain your hardworking local MP, I will continue to take up your concerns and speak up for Poole.’
Mr Leishman added: ‘I have voted against the Government on issues because I want to effectively represent and be the voice for communities across Alloa and Grangemouth.
‘I firmly believe that it is not my duty as an MP to make people poorer, especially those that have suffered because of austerity and its dire consequences.’
The Universal Credit Bill cleared the Commons after elements to restrict eligibility to Pip were scrapped, with any changes postponed until after a review led by disability minister Sir Stephen Timms.
Mr Leishman called for the welfare law to be withdrawn, even in the essentially meaningless form it finally passed the Commons at the end of June.
The MP for Alloa and Grangemouth voted in favour of a cross-party amendment that would have stopped the Bill before second reading.
At the time he said: ‘Today was a prime example in how not to legislate.
‘A shambolic afternoon with policy being made up off the cuff and on the notion of promises to come.
‘The Government should do the honourable and decent thing and withdraw this dreadful Bill.’
Liz Kendall insisted this morning that the Government’s welfare reforms were in ‘the right place’ now after she was forced to scrap most of the planned changes in the face of a Labour revolt.
The Work and Pensions Secretary acknowledged it had been a ‘bumpy ride’ but the review into the personal independence payment (Pip) would now be able to take a proper look at the system in conjunction with disabled people.
Ms Kendall insisted the reforms had not been motivated by the Treasury’s desire to cut spending but were driven by a desire to end a situation where people became dependent on benefits rather than working.
