“Keir Starmer said it would be ‘country before party’ – Last night seven Labour MPs were suspended for putting ending child poverty before party – they should have the whip restored today.”
Neil Findlay, Former MSP
By Matt Willgress, Labour Outlook Editor
In less than an hour, a grassroots petition calling on Keir Starmer to restore the Parliamentary Labour Party whip to seven MPs suspended for voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap gained over 1000 supporters, and continues to grow with over 2500 signatories at the time of publishing. The campaign’s supporters were echoing Diane Abbott MP’s feelings of horror that “colleagues [have been] suspended for 6 months for voting against, when removing the cap is supposed to be party policy.”
The petition to Sir Keir reads as follows, “We oppose your decision to suspend 7 MPs from the Labour Whip for voting for scrapping the two-child benefit cap – a move which would immediately lift 300,000 children out of poverty. This shameful decision must be reversed.”
Welcoming the petition and its initial support, former MP Beth Winter said, “Labour was elected on a commitment to reduce child poverty. That’s how Labour MPs should vote. Support the campaign for their reinstatement.”
She was joined by PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote who said, “Labour MPs should not be disciplined for fighting child poverty. Sign the petition to restore the whip.”
Labour Lord John Hendy KC meanwhile condemned the move to remove the Whip from the MPs, saying ““No one should be penalised by a Labour government for voting to save 100,000s of our children from poverty.“
Adding another trade union voice in support of the Seven MPs and the campaign, BFAWU General Secretary Sarah Woolley said, “It’s disgraceful less than 3 weeks after telling the world ‘country before party’ that 7 MPs have been suspended for taking that stance, we stand in solidarity with Apsana, Imran, Richard, Becky, John, Zarah and Ian and demand they have the whip reinstated.”
Neil Findlay, former Labour MSP and former Shadow Minister for Campaigns and Party Engagement in Scotland, added, “Keir Starmer said it would be ‘country before party’ – Last night seven Labour MPs were suspended for putting ending child poverty before party – they should have the whip restored today.”
Labour NEC member Jess Barnard gave her strong backing to the initiative, saying “Solidarity with the 7, who stood up for kids condemned to poverty – a principled stance taken by Labour MPs who were elected to stand up for their communities, who pledged to put ending child poverty at the top of the agenda.
This is designed to punish principles and scare new MPs into submission, while poor kids pay the highest price for it – please give this petition your full support.”
Fellow Labour NEC member Gemma Bolton added, “The initial support for this petition illustrates the anger in our movement that these 7 MPs have been suspended for standing up for their constituents, and calling for measures to tackle child poverty. Keir Starmer and co. still seem more obsessed with bashing the Left than changing the country.”
The petition was initiated by the Labour Assembly Against Austerity and ‘Arise – a Festival of Left Ideas.’ Commenting on behalf of the two organisations, a spokersperson said “These seven MPs were right to support a measure that would lift 300,00 children out of poverty – and would be a great start to undoing the social emergency caused by 14 years of failed Tory austerity.
He added, “The immediate support for the petition shows the anger there is across the movement at Keir Starmer’s anti-democratic move. Now we need to build this campaign everywhere, including by reaching 5,000 supporters as soon as possible.”
Elsewhere, FBU General Secretary and TUC President Matt Wrack commented that “The seven MPs who voted to scrap the cap spoke for millions of trade union members and many Labour Party members. Keir Starmer must restore the whip to them immediately.”
On Sky News meanwhile RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said, “I think it’s good [the seven MPs] they’ve put down a marker and it’s a shame that the Labour Party doesn’t come up with something concrete that will alleviate the poverty that so many families are experiencing.”
And Labour NEC and Momentum NCG member Mish Rahman called the suspensions “complete control-freakery and authoritarianism.”
Meanwhile, on a local level, Zarah Sultana received support from her local Labour Club. Speaking to ‘Labour Outlook’ Ollie Chapman, Warwick Labour Students said, “Warwick labour students fully supports Zarah Sultana’s decision to vote to scrap the 2 child benefit cap and we condemn the suspension of her and the 6 other labour MPs. Zarah is an inspiration to young people within and outside the Labour Party, and stands on the right side of history.”
Local to another MP who had the whip withdrawn, Fraser McGuire, co-chair Manchester Labour Students told us, “I’m incredibly disappointed to see Rebecca and 6 other MPs suspended for daring to stand up and demand better from the leadership, and speaking to students and young people I know that many feel the same. Labour ran on a promise of ‘change’ and that is what many people voted for yet the party has fallen at the first hurdle. Starmer should scrap the two-child benefit cap and return the whip to those who rebelled.”
- The petition can be signed here. Make sure to add your name in support of John McDonnell, Rebecca Long Bailey, Zarah Sultana, Richard Burgon, Apsana Begum, Ian Byrne and Imran Hussain.
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