Leeds MP Richard Burgon has whip suspended by Labour after rebelling in vote to scrap two-child benefit cap

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A Leeds MP has had the whip suspended after rebelling against the government in a vote to scrap the controversial two-child benefit cap.

Richard Burgon, who was re-elected in Leeds East with a landslide majority earlier this month, supported an amendment from the SNP that called for an end to the policy that limits the number of children that families may claim benefits for.

Leeds MP Richard Burgon has had the whip suspended after a rebelling against the government in a vote to scrap the controversial two-child benefit cap.Leeds MP Richard Burgon has had the whip suspended after a rebelling against the government in a vote to scrap the controversial two-child benefit cap.
Leeds MP Richard Burgon has had the whip suspended after a rebelling against the government in a vote to scrap the controversial two-child benefit cap. | Parliament UK

Mr Burgon was among seven Labour MPs who have now had the whip suspended for six months over the rebellion. A total of 42 others in the party abstained from voting on the motion.

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In a statement posted on social media, Mr Burgon, who has been an MP in Leeds since 2015, said: "I'm disappointed by the decision to suspend the whip over my vote tonight on the two-child cap.

"As I said in my King's Speech response, I am excited by so many of our new Labour government’s plans and I welcomed the announcement of a Child Poverty Task Force and Unit.

"But as an MP in an area where 45% of children live in poverty, one of the highest in the country, I simply believe that this strategy must include scrapping this measure. That's something that many struggling families in my area have raised with me.

"Every child poverty expert says this is a key way of lifting children out of poverty and I encourage the new Government to come forward with a plan on this, alongside its other initiatives, as so many other figures across the Labour Party and our wider trade union movement have called for."

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In recent weeks, Bridget Phillipson, the new education secretary, has said that removing the limit would be looked at as part of a review into child poverty.

According to Child Poverty Action Group, it would cost the government around £1.7bn - which is 0.14 per cent of total government spending - to ditch the policy. Critics have argued that it is to blame for plunging hundreds of thousands of children into poverty.

Mark Sewards, a new Labour MP in Leeds South West and Morley, was among those who backed the government yesterday (July 23). He told the YEP ahead of the vote that it was not clear whether the party could afford to ditch the policy.

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He said: "We have just won a general election on a fully costed manifesto, so I think it is more important right now that we set about implementing the policies that are in that manifesto in black and white.

"I absolutely welcome a review of the two-child limit, but until we know that we can definitely afford it as a nation, we shouldn't go down that route."

Sir Keir Starmer is set to face a grilling in the Commons later today (July 24) following the rebellion in his first Prime Minister's Questions.

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