The Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey and six others have had the whip suspended after voting against the two-child benefit cap.
A division list showed six other Labour MPs voted in favour of the Scottish National Party-led amendment calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped. They have also had the whip suspended for six months, after that the decision will be reviewed.
Labour has “failed its first major test in Government,” the SNP said after MPs voted against scrapping the two-child benefit cap.
The party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn MP said: “Labour MPs had the opportunity to deliver meaningful change from years of Tory misrule by immediately lifting thousands of children out of poverty – they have made a political choice not to do so.”
This month, Ms Long-Bailey called on the Labour Government to scrap the two-child benefit limit as she called it “cruel” and “ineffective”.
Ms Long-Bailey highlighted that poverty in Salford is particularly rife and referenced the popular folk song based on Salford, ‘Dirty Old Town’ by Ewan MacColl.
She said: “Despite the profound changes seen by the city in the last 75 years, the financial struggles of so many families across Salford are relatively no different to those Ewan saw growing up.”
Research by Loughborough University on behalf of the End Child Poverty Coalition, reported that a staggering 333,000 children in Greater Manchester and Lancashire are now living in poverty – an increase of 31,197 compared with the previous year.
Downing Street said the state of the public finances did not mean action could not be taken to tackle child poverty.
Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure, including from some of his own MPs, to scrap the two-child benefit cap.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “When it comes to that policy, there’s a simple reason that the Government didn’t include in the manifesto, and that is the Government isn’t prepared to make unfunded promises that can’t be kept.”
He added: “The Chancellor has actually set out that the situation facing the public finances is worse than previously thought and that’s why she’ll be providing an update on that in due course.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t take action to tackle child poverty. And we are developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty and give children the best start in life.”
Ms Long-Bailey commented on her suspension by saying: “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.”
Recent Comments