Labour suspends seven MPs over two-child benefit cap

[EasterIssland]

Several labour mps have voted in favour of snps request to remove the 2 child benefit cap and now they’ve* *had the whip suspended for six month.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c978m6z3egno

not the best beginning for this new government

That's ridiculous. The universal credit two child cap came in just over 7 years ago, if she has 7 children why did she continue to have so many knowing the cap was in effect? Only children under 7 are affected.

I do think the cap is unfair on people who have lost their jobs or ended up on UC due to relationship breakdown or health issues with existing children and it absolutely should be ammended for that.

MPs should have abstained though, they knew this before running as Labour MPs this was a performative move, not for their constituencies benefits - what help are they with the whip removed?

They should have waited for the full assessment on affordability. Labour said that they would do that to make an informed decision about scrapping the limit.

I think removing the cap is a good LT goal, but there is absolutely no flipping money right now. Correct call by Starmer IMO.

But you can run that both ways.

The rebels knew they would lose the whip and not change the outcome of the vote.

They are now less effective MPs (less leverage without the whip).

It is good for their profile and brand (politics), but bad for their constituents (people).

I'm not saying it's always wrong to rebel on a safe vote. But it's clearly an act of politics.

In 2020 - pre-COVID, pre-Truss, pre-Ukraine - the budget situation was totally different.

Do you think the government can magic things better?

If he was focused only on politics he'd have scrapped it. The Labour party would like to scrap it.

It sounds harsh, but these MPs were elected as members of the Labour Party, not as independents. The people who voted for them did so based on them being Labour, based on the manifesto published barely a month ago.

You can't run as a representative of a Party and then less than a month after election start trying to change what was in the manifesto. That's not acting in good faith.

I don't understand people saying "they're voted in to represent their constituency not the party". Do you think they did a full referendum of their constituents opinion on this matter before they voted? No, they didn't. So there's a far more compelling argument that their constituents voted in favour of Labour's stance on this issue, than on the private opinions of their individual MP.

Benefits claimants are not doing the heavy lifting like teachers and doctors. They are barely contributing to growth as they take out more than they contribute. I accept some low wage jobs don’t help but Labour started in work benefits with Blair. Now work doesn’t pay because employers know there are benefits. It was foolish to transfer wages to the state.

This .I know numerous people who are very careful and only to work the minimum hours to maximise ‘benefits’

It's not "people before politics" to vote against a manifesto you ran in support of less than a month ago. A manifesto which was clear that other things were a priority over this.

If they ran as an Independent and explicitly told the electorate they'd vote for removing the cap, that would be one thing. They'd have a mandate for their actions. But they didn't, they ran as part of the Labour Party who explicitly were not planning to do this.

It's arrogance for an MP to be elected as part of a Party, and then do what they want rather than what the party their constituents voted for promised to do.

The 2 children benefit cap has been in long enough for people to plan. Kids are expensive - do not have them if you cannot afford them. I stuck with one child as I could not afford more than one.

Kier Starmer has got this one right imo

This. I really don’t understand why a 3 line whip was necessary when labour has such a large majority. I’d have thought it better to wait for something significant. I think this makes Starmer look rigid and weak.

Once had a chap doing some work asked if he would be back the next day he said "no he would lose his benefits " is that still the state of things today? If so it's crazy

What? It's a very standard thing to happen in parliament.

Ironically, Suella Braverman is in favour of getting rid of the benefit cap.

Someone would come to say that circumstances changes. She was probably raped by her husband and the last two pregnancies were twins. Plus that you stop reading the daily mail. 🙄

Brilliant post! Glad some Labour supporters are recognising this.

My friend who is in good health works 16 hours,and always has done. I used to think it’s because her kids childminder was expensive but her kids are all now 12+ and don’t need childcare.

I’m pretty sure she and her partner (who does irregular cash in hand work ) do this for benefit reasons as she does get a lot of help.

But yes low wage jobs and inflated rents are a problem too. Let’s face it some full time workers even need to receive benefits.

The seven MPs that voted against were elected less than a month ago on a ticket where it had been made very clear the 2 child cap would stay at this early stage.

It is not authoritarianism to say you have to respect your democratic mandate!

The issue is we can't afford the costs of the broken immigration system! They've announced steps they will take to reduce costs here, which will free up resources.

The costs the Tories have watched rise year on year are a disgrace.

Its rather clutching at straws to say "Not a good start"

They ve been in for 3 weeks, not 3 years.

Its 7 MPs mostly from the Corbynite wing of the 'party & Starmer is showing that he will not be pushed around by the 'left, i'd have thought this was something most would support?

If by “illegal immigrants” you mean asylum seekers there are so many being accommodated as Tories haven’t keep on top of processing applications. They let a huge backlog occur and instead of dealing with it spent millions or even billions on what was the clearly unworkable plan of sending them to Rwanda.

And they do have money for child benefits, hence people get them, but there are sensible limits and people shouldn’t need to rely on benefits for their kids.

We need better wages and more people into full-time work.

I remember in my previous role supporting families I was astounded to see a woman on her 5th kid with no income aside from benefits as her partner didn’t work either, complain about immigrants sucking up all the money 😏

I doubt Starmer will be taking any lessons from Wales' current mess.

As someone working in an area of high deprivation, scrapping the two child cap will do very little to improve things for children living in poverty IMO.

I work with families where the children are dripping in labelled clothing, Range Rover outside the house, lashes, Botox, fillers and nails on point, term time holidays abroad etc yet I’m providing food parcels as they are up their eyes in Klarna/debt. In many of the cases they have maximum benefits, DLA, child benefit also. The money isn’t being budgeted and priorities are wrong. In many of these households, nobody works or, if they do, they don’t dare work any further as their benefits will be worse off.

Scrapping the two child limit will just encourage families to continue having children (which is what happened before it was put in place).

Better minimum wage, making it pay to work rather than be on benefits and encouraging people back into work will improve poverty.

Provide free childcare to families in the lowest paid bracket so they can work.

Unpopular opinion I know, but, in my view, changing benefits to vouchers or similar that can only be spent on food, low cost (not branded) clothing etc would also go a long way to improving poverty for our children and encourage people into work.

My husband and I both work full time. We have to budget to the penny, we wouldn’t dream of having more than two children as we know financially that would be very difficult. We shop mainly in supermarkets, have a budget car and are unlikely to afford a summer holiday abroad as we can only go in school holidays which we simply can’t afford.

I’m all for helping those in need, and for the tax taken off me to go towards this, but, in not all but many cases, it’s not being used effectively.

Im not political at all, but, so far, generally, Starmer has priorities right.

Absolutely agree.
I sadly know a lot of families like this too.
First in line to get the food parcels from school because presumably they are on the correct benefits to receive them, yet they’ve just got back from their 2nd holiday abroad, drive new cars, all wear branded sports clothing and obviously have Botox and fillers…. Yet their children can’t afford stationery or to contribute to the school trips.
bringing back this policy won’t help many children because the parents cannot budget or don’t care. It drives the wrong behaviour.