Bradford MP ‘disappointed’ by suspension after voting to scrap two-child benefit cap

SIR Keir Starmer has sacked seven Labor MPs – including Bradford East’s Imran Hussain – after they rebelled against the government by backing a motion to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

Mr Hussain, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana have all been suspended from the parliamentary party, meaning they will now be independent MPs.

It is understood the decision will be reviewed in six months.

The Prime Minister managed his first Commons rebellion on Tuesday, with the Government comfortably defeating calls to scrap the cap.

The cap, introduced in 2015 by then-Tory chancellor George Osborne, restricts child support payments to the first two children born to most families.

Mr Hussain said: “I voted to remove the two-child limit and I am disappointed to have suspended the whip because of that vote.

“But it was important to me to support my constituents, who are among those most affected by a policy that every organization fighting child poverty has urged the Government to scrap.

“The two-child limit is one of the biggest drivers of the child poverty rate, which means almost half of all children in Bradford East live in homes that cannot afford to live beyond their means.

“I remain committed to this government’s bold plans for a new deal for working people, Great British Energy, public ownership of rail and more to undo 14 years of Tory damage, but as we set out last week, much more needs to be done more to tackle child poverty”.

Ahead of the vote, Sir Keir said there was “no silver bullet” to end child poverty, but acknowledged the “passion” of Labor MPs who were considering a rebellion to continue the Tory measure.

The government said it was not prepared to make an “unfunded promise” by removing the cap.

The decision to remove the whip from those who rebelled is an early sign of discipline from the new administration and signals that voting dissent will not be taken lightly.

More than 40 Labor MPs did not register a vote, with some of those listed being spotted in the chamber throughout the day, while others will have been allowed to miss the vote.

Labor West MP Naz Shah and Labor Shipley MP Anna Dixon voted with the government.

Southern Labor MP Judith Cummins and Tory Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore did not take part in the vote.

The House of Commons voted by 363 to 103, a majority of 260, to reject the amendment tabled on behalf of SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.

Flynn said Labor had “failed its first major test in government”, choosing not to “deliver a meaningful change from years of Tory misrule”.