UK: Labour Suspends 7 MPs Over Two-Child Benefit Cap Vote
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suspended seven Labour MPs on Tuesday after they voted against their party in favor of a Scottish National Party (SNP) amendment intended to end the country's two-child benefit cap....
Facts
- UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suspended seven Labour MPs on Tuesday after they voted against their party in favor of a Scottish National Party (SNP) amendment intended to end the country's two-child benefit cap.1
- After the motion was defeated by 363 votes to 103, Labour suspended Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell, and Zarah Sultana.2
- In an interview with BBC News last week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves claimed that her party could not make an 'unfunded' pledge to spend an additional £3B annually in order to lift the cap.3
- Meanwhile, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said that the government will look into scrapping the cap as part of a wider government review into child poverty.4
- The policy was first announced by the former Conservative government in 2015 and came into effect in 2017. Parents can claim approximately £288 ($372) a year for each of their first two children.5
- Data released by the Department for Work and Pensions in March 2024 shows that, after housing costs, the percentage of children in relative and absolute poverty each rose two percentage points in FY2023 to 30% and 25%, respectively.6
Sources: 1ITV News, 2BBC News (a), 3BBC News (b), 4Guardian, 5Sky News and 6gov.uk.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New Statesman. While few within the party support the two-child cap, Labour has made it clear that it currently cannot afford to scrap the policy. Attempting to set the tone for the rest of his premiership, Starmer has sent a clear message that there will be consequences if his MPs fail to follow the party line.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Mirror. While it is no secret that money is scarce for the new Labour Government, there is simply no excuse for continuing a draconian policy that has wide-reaching impacts on the physical and mental health of children for the rest of their lives. Society will be worse off as long as the cap remains in place, damaging families up and down the country.
