Sir Keir Starmer has suspended at least three Labour MPs as he seeks to reassert his authority after a series of damaging backbench rebellions.
The Independent understands that rebel leader Rachael Maskell, along with Chris Hinchliffe, have been called in to see the chief whip over the recent revolt over welfare reforms and are expected to have the whip suspended. Two others, Brian Leishman and Neil Duncan-Jordan, confirmed they had been suspended.
The MPs are thought to have lost the party whip over “persistent breaches of party discipline”.
The move comes before politicians depart Westminster for the summer early next week and follows speculation some Labour MPs could have been in talks to join a new party being created by ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.
But a senior Labour figure said the suspensions: “Shows how weak they are. It only hastens Starmer’s fall by showing his absolute weakness.”
Sir Keir suffered a serious blow earlier this month when dozens of his own MPs voted against his planned welfare cuts in Parliament.
The chancellor Rachel Reeves now faces the task of filling the £5bn hole in the public finances left by the climbdown, raising speculation she will be forced to raise taxes in the autumn.
The prime minister had been forced into two humiliating U-turns on the legislation in less than a week to head off a revolt that threatened to defeat his government on one of its flagship policies.
Despite the climbdowns, the revolt was still the largest backbench rebellion Sir Keir has suffered so far.
In response to his suspension, Alloa and Grangemouth MP Mr Leishman said he was “a proud Labour member, and I remain committed to the party. I wish to remain a Labour MP and deliver the positive change many voters are craving.”
But he said he did not believe it was his duty as an MP “to make people poorer”.
He said he had voted against the government “on issues because I want to effectively represent and be the voice for communities across Alloa and Grangemouth. I firmly believe that it is not my duty as an MP to make people poorer, especially those that have suffered because of austerity and its dire consequences.”
Poole MP Neil Duncan-Jordan confirmed he had been suspended, saying he “couldn’t support making disabled people poorer”.
Before the welfare vote the previous record holder was earlier this month during the passage of the planning and infrastructure bill, when 16 MPs rebelled.
A revolt last year, over the controversial two-child benefit cap, saw a number of Labour MPs stripped of the party whip – including Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
More follows on this breaking news story…
