Former shadow chancellor John McDonell among Labour MPs who have had whip suspended for six months
Seven Labour MPs have been suspended from the parliamentary party after voting against the government on a motion to scrap the two-child benefit cap, the Guardian understands.
Keir Starmer suffered his first rebellion the Scottish National party brought an amendment to throw out the measure, which has been widely criticised by child poverty charities and campaigners.
Despite there being no question of Labour losing a vote on the issue given its majority of 174, parliamentarians said they were alarmed by the strength of warnings from whips about rebelling early in the parliament. The amendment failed by 363 votes to 103, a majority of 260 for Labour.
Among the seven who voted for the SNP motion were key figures from the left of the party, including the former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, who said ahead of the vote: “I don’t like voting for other parties’ amendments but I’m following Keir Starmer’s example as he said put country before party.”
Along with McDonnell, Apsana Begum; Richard Burgon; Ian Byrne; Imran Hussain; Rebecca Long-Bailey; and Zar
ah Sultana all voted for the amendment, and 42 Labour MPs did not vote.
All seven have had the whip suspended for six months, when there will be a review.
The vote has also caused deep tensions between backbenchers, and a number who are supportive of the change have been angered by the fallout and believe that the rebellion will make it harder for the government to now concede on the issue and is likely to alienate new MPs. One MP said the tactics had been “all stick” rather than any real discussion of the issue.
In what appeared to be a move to mollify potential rebels, Keir Starmer indicated for the first time on Monday that he will consider scrapping the cap, which had previously been said to be unaffordable. Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, said that removing the cap was among measures the government would look at as part of a review into child poverty.
The SNP amendment was signed by 21 MPs – including from the Green party, Plaid Cymru and three independents, one of whom was Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader. Introduced in 2017, the restriction prevents parents from claiming benefits for more than two children, with some exceptions.
Though the majority of Labour MPs who had been pushing for scrapping the cap were on the left of the party, there is support across the party. Rosie Duffield, the Canterbury MP, said she would have rebelled to vote for the SNP amendment but was prevented from doing so because she had tested positive for Covid.
Kim Johnson said she decided to vote with the government “for unity”, but had previously submitted her own amendment that was not selected. Speaking in the chamber on Monday, she said her Liverpool Riverside constituency was the most deprived in the country, with 47% of children living in poverty.
“It is not a question of whether we can afford to adopt vital policies to alleviate child poverty, such as lifting the two-child cap; it is a question of whether we can afford not to,” she told the House of Commons, saying her focus was “debate not division”.
After the vote, she stressed on X: “We moved the dial. The campaign will continue … The massive strength of feeling in undeniable. It must be a priority for our first budget.”
The Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome, who abstained during the vote, said the Conservative legacy belonged in the “dustbin of history” and added: “We should start by scrapping the two-child benefit cap, which would immediately lift 300,000 children out of poverty.”
Duffield said there would be continued pressure within the party for the government to scrap the cap. “I was disappointed not to have the opportunity to speak against the two-child limit but most returning Labour MPs, on the front and back benches, have been fighting against this nasty legislation since it was introduced,” she said. “We will continue to push for it to be scrapped in line with Labour’s strategy to reduce the current unacceptable levels of child poverty.”
Removing the cap is backed by the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Reform. Suella Braverman, who also abstained from voting, told the House on Monday that it had not worked as a measure to stop people having more children. “I believe that the cap is aggravating child poverty, and it is time for it to go,” she said.
The SNP’s Kirsty Blackman said that the so-called “rape clause” – where women who have a third child as a result of rape must apply specifically to receive the extra benefit – was demeaning. “Even if the government are unwilling to move on the two-child cap they should be doing something about the rape clause and what people are having to prove in order to get the exemption,” she told the House.
Also selected was a Lib Dem amendment, which was focused on health and social care but included a call to scrap the two-child limit. The Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney said it “would have a direct benefit to families struggling with the cost of living crisis”.
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