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Sir Keir Starmer has stood defiant over his decision to suspend seven MPs following their rebellion over the two-child benefit cap.
A spokesperson for Sir Keir said voting against the government over the King’s Speech is a serious matter, after a number of MPs broke ran and voted to scrap the policy.
“We’ve been very clear on our position on the child limit and why we did not commit to removing it both during the campaign and since. And that is because given the economic situation we’ve inherited, we are very clear that we’re not going to make promises that we can’t keep,” the spokesperson said.
“Now, clearly, voting against the party’s position on the King’s Speech is a serious matter.”
She added Sir Keir is “focused on delivering the change” the public voted for rather than dwelling on the rebellion.
The Labour leader dodged questions over the two-child benefit cap during his first Prime Minister’s Questions since leading Labour to an election victory and entering Downing Street.
Although the move has been seen as a show of strength by the Labour leader, Ms Sultana, representing Coventry South, claimed she was a victim of Sir Keir’s “macho virility test”.
Watch: Yvette Cooper accused of running for the hills after ditching TV interview day after whip removed from seven MPs
Yvette Cooper ditches live TV interview after seven MPs have whip removed
The home secretary has been accused of “running for the hills” after skipping a live TV interview on Sky News. Yvette Cooper was reportedly due to appear on Sky’s breakfast show on Wednesday (24 July), to discuss her party temporarily removing the whip from seven MPs who voted against the government on an amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Kay Burley asked fellow presenter Wilfred Frost: “What do you think of the home secretary running for the hills this morning and not wanting to explain to us why seven MPs have had the whip removed from them for now?” Frost replied: “It sends out a pretty, strong message – and also as we know, it leaves you hanging. It’s rather disrespectful.”
Keir Starmer accused of ‘authoritarian control-freakery’ over two-child benefit cap rebellion
But a political spokesperson from Downing Street confirmed today that the action had been taken “ because they rebelled against the King’s speech – the party’s programme for government – which is a serious matter.”
The spokesperson denied that the move would set a precedent for all rebellions and Downing Street confirmed that lifting the cap is something a review into child poverty will be able to consider.
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Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full story:
Watch: Kamala Harris not among ‘brilliant American women in politics’, says Liz Truss
Kamala Harris not among ‘brilliant American women in politics’, says Liz Truss
Kamala Harris is not among the “brilliant American women in politics”, former UK prime minister Liz Truss said. Ms Truss, who served as prime minister for six weeks before stepping down following a disastrous mini-budget, joined Fox News on Tuesday (23 July) to share her thoughts on Ms Harris running for president. Ms Truss said: “I think there have been some brilliant American women in politics but I don’t think Kamala Harris is one of them.” She also claimed the Democrat will not change inflation and immigration problems in the US. Ms Truss said. “She’s been there the last four years. She’s responsible for those policies.”
Starmer defends proposal to impose VAT on private schools
Sir Keir Starmer said he will not apologise for his plans to impose VAT on private schools, after he was challenged on the proposal during his first Prime Minister’s Questions.
As he defended the policy, the Prime Minister argued that every parent has aspirations for their children no matter which school they go to.
It came in response to Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine, who claimed state schools in her constituency of Edinburgh West would be put under pressure by the proposal.
Sir Keir said: “I do obviously understand the aspiration that parents who work hard and save hard have for their children that they send to private school.
“But every parent has that aspiration, whichever school they go to.
“And I am determined that we will have the right teachers in place in our state secondary schools to ensure that every child, wherever they come from, whatever their background, has the same opportunity, and I do not apologise for that.”
Labour MP Long-Bailey breaks silence after being suspended
Rebecca Long-Bailey has broken her silence after being suspended by Sir Keir Starmer for rebelling on the two-child benefit cap.
The Labour MP for Salford said she voted for the amendment to “lift hundreds of thousands of children across the country out of poverty”.
Despite rebelling against her party, she vowed to support the King’s Speech and the government pledges to create breakfast clubs and a new child poverty task force.
In a statement, the former shadow minister said: “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.
“I support the King’s Speech and support the 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’s why I voted in favor scrapping the two-child limit.”
She added: “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.”
Watch: Sunak jokes Team GB won’t take winning tips from him at Paris Olympics
Rishi Sunak jokes Team GB won’t take winning tips from him at Paris Olympics
Rishi Sunak opened his first prime minister’s questions as leader of the opposition with a joke about his inability to win. The former prime minister, who lost a leadership election to Liz Truss, several local elections, and last month’s general election by a huge landslide, sent his best wishes to Team GB athletes heading to the Paris Olympics. Mr Sunak said: “To be honest, I am probably not the first person they want to hear advice from on how to win.” The joke was met by laughter from MPs in the Commons.
Suspended MP accuses Labour of offering domestic abuse support to back two-child benefit cap
Apsana Begum has accused the Labour Party of offering her support on domestic abuse violence if she voted with Sir Keir Starmer to back the two-child benefit bill.
The MP for Poplar and Limehouse claimed she was left “shocked” by the way she was treated by her party.
Speaking on Sky News: “That is unacceptable. That demonstrates I think the way in which that draconian stance was taken in regards to the scrapping of the two-child limit.”
Ms Begum added: “Many of my colleagues are quite surprised in the way in which the operations took place yesterday around the vote.
“I myself was quite shocked and surprised to see the way in which I was treated. I had a very difficult election. I had an election in which many people said to me ‘we are happy to support you as an individual but we find it very hard to support Labour at this time’. For a number of different reasons.
“But one of the reasons is that we don’t see a difference between the two main parties in parliament.
“I had to contend with that and with the fact I am a survivor of domestic abuse and coercive control, unfortunately I had my ex husband standing against me.”
Benn urged to ‘rebuild strained EU relations’ after Brexit disruption
Labour MP Emily Darlington urged Hilary Benn to “rebuild strained relations” with the European Union, warning that businesses in her local constituency have struggled to survive in the wake of Brexit.
The MP for Milton Keynes Central asked the secretary of state for Northern Ireland to engage with the Irish Government as part of an attempt to reduce barriers to trade.
Asked about his plans to repair relations with Europe, the Labour frontbencher admitted that Brexit had brought “additional costs and paperwork for businesses”.
But Mr Benn also defended the Windsor Framework, an agreement signed by the previous Conservative government to reduce trade barriers between Northern Ireland and the EU, dubbing it an “important and significant step forward”.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:
Source: independent.co.uk
