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Sir Keir Starmer has defended suspending four of his own MPs, saying those who “repeatedly break the whip” have to be dealt with.
In his first comments on the decision to purge a handful of backbenchers, the prime minister said all Labour MPs were elected on a “manifesto for change” and that needs to be delivered “as a Labour government”.
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Asked by Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby if the suspensions make him look weak, Sir Keir said: “I’m determined that we will change this country for the better for millions of working people.
“I’m not going to be deflected from that and therefore we have to deal with people who repeatedly break the whip, because everyone was elected as a Labour MP on the manifesto of change and everybody needs to deliver as a Labour government.”
The casualties of the crackdown were Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff, Neil Duncan-Jordan and Rachael Maskell, who are no longer part of Labour’s parliamentary party and will sit as independent MPs pending a review.
The move has been criticised by several of their colleagues who say the party leadership should listen to backbench concerns rather than punish them for speaking out.
The four MPs had voted against the government’s welfare cuts earlier this month. However, it is understood this isn’t the only reason for their suspension with party sources citing “repeated breaches of party discipline”.
More than 100 Labour MPs had initially spoken out against the plan to cut personal independent payments (PIP), though only 47 voted against the bill’s third reading after it was watered down significantly in the face of defeat.
Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair faced a similar-sized revolt when he tried to push through welfare reforms in 1997, but he did not suspend those who voted against him.
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