The paper says that the four MPs who have lost the whip are Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff. They were informed on Wednesday afternoon and told their positions would be kept under review. Apparently, the whip has been removed because they are “persistent rebels”:
All four MPs facing suspension have been openly critical of several government policies, including the welfare bill and cuts to the winter fuel allowance.
MPs who lose the whip are no longer considered part of the parliamentary party, though they retain party membership unless that too is revoked. The suspension is usually for a set period, and then reviewed.
Three other Labour MPs who have rebelled against the whip – Rosena Allin-Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammad Yasin – had their trade envoy roles removed. Trade envoys are parliamentarians who help the government promote trade and investment with specific regions, and can be drawn from opposition as well as government.
One Labour MP on the left of the party said those suspended had been told they faced an inquiry lasting a few months and that the decision to suspend them had come from Downing Street.
The MP said the move was intended to create a “climate of fear” in the party and made the government look “brittle”. “What those MPs, what we all did, were to defend Labour values. The fact that the government was humiliated was all of their own making. There are elements around No 10 who now want to lash out vindictively rather than acknowledge the mistakes that were made. This is now frankly a punishment beating … They’ve learned nothing.”
Another Labour MP said: “The trade envoy sackings are particularly weird … There are Tory and Lib Dem trade envoys who vote against the government all the time and that’s OK, but a Labour one gets sacked for one rebellion? Make it make sense.”
These sackings come following similar action taken against seven Labour MPs who rebelled over the two-child benefit cap a year ago.
Starmer and his advisors may feel that these sort of disciplinary measures make him seem like a strong leader, but the reality is that the MPs concerned are far more representative of the wider Labour Party than he is. Not being able to take all of the Labour Parliamentary Party with him the PM is resorting to these suspensions instead.
If anything it makes him look weak and isolated within an increasingly narrow managerial mindset. When will this government start to bring in the changes voters expected of them?
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