Salford MP "deeply saddened" to have Labour whip suspended

She says she voted in favour of scrapping the two child benefit cap "as a strict matter of conscience"

Author: Nathan MarshPublished 24th Jul 2024

Sir Keir Starmer vowed to tackle child poverty "with the same vigour" as the last Labour government when challenged over his refusal to immediately axe the two-child benefit cap.

His first Prime Minister's Questions since entering No 10 came a day after he suspended seven Labour MPs for backing an SNP motion to abolish the welfare limit.

Sir Keir said: "The last Labour government lifted millions of children out of poverty, something we are very, very proud of.

"And this Government will approach the question with the same vigour with our new task force. Already we've taken steps: breakfast clubs, abolishing no-fault evictions, decent homes standard, Awaab's Law, and a plan to make work pay."

It came in response to a question by SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, who pointed to former prime minister Gordon Brown's call for Scottish voters to back Labour to end child poverty ahead of the general election.

"Yet, last night, Labour MPs from Scotland were instructed to retain the two-child cap which forces children into poverty," he said.

Sir Keir was also confronted over the matter by SNP MP Pete Wishart, who asked him: "The headlines are awful for the Prime Minister this morning, poverty campaigners are furious with the Prime Minister, is his honeymoon over before it's even begun?"

Seven labour MPs - including Salford's Rebecca Long Bailey - lost the party whip yesterday for backing the SNP amendment which would have seen the two child benefit cap scrapped.

Ms Long-Bailey told us she did so in a "strict matter of conscience":

“As an MP in Salford, where 44.7% of children live in poverty with some wards closer to 60%, I urged the Government in the King's Speech debate to scrap the two-child limit on Universal Credit. This is something many struggling families have raised with me but it's also something that every child poverty expert has called for. Scrapping the two-child limit would lift hundreds of thousands of children across the country out of poverty.

"I support the King's Speech and support Government pledges to roll out breakfast clubs and to instigate a child poverty task force. I am gravely concerned however that this will take considerable time to pass through the relevant stages of consultation and indeed into final legislation. That is why I voted in favour of scrapping the two-child limit.

"I am deeply saddened to have had the whip suspended for six months. As a strict matter of conscience, on this occasion I felt I must speak for my constituents who have no voice in the hope that the Government urgently helps them on this issue. I will continue to work with the Government and colleagues to help the constituents I represent."

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.