Seven Labour MPs lose the whip

In the end, the great two-child benefit cap revolt proved to be somewhat underwhelming. The measure was always likely to fail given Labour’s mammoth majority of 172, with the government winning the vote by 363 votes to 103. Only seven of Keir Starmer’s MPs defied the entreaties of the Labour whips to vote in favour of the SNP’s amendment to the King’s Speech to scrap the policy. Their names are a handy ‘who’s who’ guide to the Labour left awkward squad: Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, Rebecca Long Bailey, Zarah Sultana and ring-leader John McDonnell.

All seven have tonight had the whip suspended for six months, before it is then reviewed. Sultana subsequently tweeted:

I have been informed by the Chief Whip & the Labour party leadership that the whip has been withdrawn from me for voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap, which would lift 330,000 children out of poverty.