Four Labour MPs have been suspended from the party after defying the leadership by voting against the government’s welfare reform bill earlier this month, NaijNaira can report. The move signals growing unrest within Labour ranks over the direction of welfare policy under Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff, and Rachael Maskell have lost the Labour whip and will now serve as independents in the House of Commons. According to Anadolu Agency, the rebellion was part of a wider backbench protest, with 47 Labour MPs rejecting the welfare cuts aimed at reducing benefits for the disabled and long-term sick.
“This bill abandons the most vulnerable. I had no choice but to vote against it,” one MP reportedly said.
In a further show of internal conflict, Labour also removed trade envoy roles from Rosena Allin-Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, and Mohammed Yasin after they voted against the measure.
Labour sources say over 120 MPs initially threatened to oppose the bill, forcing ministers to introduce concessions. A revised version narrowly passed.
This isn’t the first disciplinary crackdown under Starmer. Earlier in the session, seven MPs were suspended over a separate policy dispute.
Zarah Sultana, one of them, has since exited the party and is teaming up with Jeremy Corbyn to form a new political group.
Article updated 4 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
