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Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and MP Apsana Begum have been reinstated as Labour MPs following a year-long suspension for their votes against the government on the two-child benefit cap. They were among seven left-wing MPs who supported an SNP motion to abolish the cap shortly after Labour’s 2024 landslide victory. Six of the MPs have now been welcomed back into the Labour Party, with the seventh, Zarah Sultana, choosing to resign last month to form a new party with former leader Jeremy Corbyn. The reasons for the reinstatements have not been publicly disclosed by the Labour Party.
Begum took the opportunity of her return to criticize Labour for suspending MPs who voted against the government. In a social media post, she expressed her commitment to opposing the two-child limit and highlighted the disparity in treatment of suspended MPs compared to others within the party. This includes the suspension of the longest-serving Black MP, Diane Abbott, while others, like Lord Mandelson, retained their positions without repercussions. Begum emphasized her desire for equal opportunities to serve as an MP freely.
The reintegration of McDonnell and Begum into the Labour Party comes after the whip was returned to Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, and Rebecca Long-Bailey for their previous rebellion on the same issue. While the government emerged victorious in the vote, it marked the first act of disobedience in the House of Commons during Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. Contrary to calls from some Labour Party members on the right to expel McDonnell – a close associate of Corbyn – from the parliamentary party permanently, the reinstatements suggest a reconciliatory approach by the party leadership.
The controversial two-child cap, implemented by the Conservative government, restricts households on universal or child tax credit from receiving payments for a third or subsequent child born after April 2017. Despite the significant cost implications and poverty-alleviating potential of eliminating the policy, Labour, after winning the 2024 general election, stated its reluctance to commit to abolishing the cap without proper funding. The issue is gaining traction within the party and beyond, with calls for its removal from various quarters including Labour deputy leadership candidates, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who also advocates for tackling poverty as a priority in her political agenda
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