Displaying items by tag: benefit cap

Sir Keir Starmer has suspended seven Labour MPs for six months after they voted to scrap the two-child benefit cap, opposing the government. The MPs—Richard Burgon, John McDonnell, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, Zarah Sultana, Rebecca Long-Bailey, and Ian Byrne—joined forces with Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Plaid Cymru, the SDLP, the Alliance Party, and independent MPs like Jeremy Corbyn to support an SNP amendment to the King's Speech. Starmer's decisive action underscores his demand for loyalty within the party. Despite a majority of over 174, he quashed the rebellion with a 363 to 103 vote. Rumors of threatened suspensions before the vote quelled a potentially larger revolt. Ms. Sultana, upon her suspension, voiced her commitment to aiding vulnerable children. Another Labour MP who voted with the government expressed confidence in its commitment to reducing child poverty. The two-child benefit cap, introduced by George Osborne in 2015, restricts Universal Credit or child tax credits for families with more than two children. The policy has been linked to increasing child poverty. Although Starmer previously advocated for its removal, he reversed his stance due to financial concerns. Scrapping the cap is estimated to cost around £3 billion.