Keir Starmer has suspended four Labour MPs following a major rebellion over his welfare reform agenda – the most significant revolt of his leadership to date.
Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff, and Rachael Maskell were stripped of the Labour whip on Wednesday after defying the party leadership and voting against proposed changes to welfare policy.
Their suspension comes just two weeks after 49 Labour MPs defied the party whip during a second reading of the controversial Bill.
In addition to the suspensions, three MPs – Rosena Allin-Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, and Mohammad Yasin – have lost their trade envoy positions but remain within the party ranks.
Sir Keir had originally set out to slash £5 billion from the welfare budget, but mounting pressure from Labour backbenchers forced him to dramatically scale back the proposals. Despite concessions, dozens of MPs remained opposed – an indication of deep divisions within the party.
The disciplinary move is widely viewed as an attempt by the Prime Minister to reassert control over Labour after a turbulent fortnight marked by dissent.
Rachael Maskell had tabled a so-called “wrecking amendment” aimed at derailing the welfare bill entirely. She has also been highly critical of the Government’s maintenance of the two-child benefit cap and cuts to the winter fuel allowance.
The backlash was swift. Former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, who herself was suspended last year for opposing the two-child limit, described Starmer and his chief strategist Morgan McSweeney as “insecure men” lacking both vision and compassion. Sultana, who has announced plans to launch a new Left-wing party alongside Jeremy Corbyn, claimed:
“A year ago, Starmer & McSweeney suspended seven of us for trying to lift 350,000 children out of poverty. Now they’re punishing MPs for standing up against cuts that would plunge 800,000 disabled people further into hardship.”
Among those suspended is Brian Leishman, the only Scottish MP affected, who was newly elected at the last general election.
A former professional golfer and prominent member of Unite, Leishman has been a vocal critic of the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery in his constituency.
Speaking out against the welfare reforms, he branded them “frankly ridiculous” and called instead for a 2% annual wealth tax on the UK’s top earners.
All four MPs were part of the group of 49 who voted against the Government’s welfare plans, despite significant compromises having been made – including scrapping many of the original cuts.
However, Labour insiders have hinted that their punishment is not solely due to their votes on the bill, citing unnamed “repeated breaches of party discipline.”
The targeted suspensions appear calculated: a warning shot to the wider parliamentary party that open rebellion against No 10 will not be tolerated.
However, by limiting sanctions to known persistent critics, the leadership avoids punishing the full 127 Labour MPs who initially signalled opposition to the bill before it was softened.
Starmer’s decisive action highlights the delicate balancing act within Labour’s ranks – navigating internal dissent while seeking to demonstrate strong, unified leadership. But as grassroots anger grows, questions remain over whether this strategy will unify the party or deepen its ideological divide.
