UK PM Keir Starmer suspends Labour MPs over welfare reform rebellion
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has suspended several Labour lawmakers after they defied party lines and voted against controversial welfare reform plans, in what is being seen as a bold move to reassert authority over his party.
The suspensions come in the wake of a significant rebellion on July 1, when four Labour MPs — Brian Leishman, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Rachael Maskell, and reportedly Chris Hinchliff — opposed government proposals to cut disability and sickness benefits.
Earlier this month, Starmer had already been forced into a politically damaging U-turn on the reforms after dozens of Labour MPs threatened to rebel, prompting him to withdraw the plan to avoid defeat in Parliament.
Suspended MPs speak out
Leishman’s office confirmed to AFP that the Scottish MP had been temporarily suspended from the Labour Party. Duncan-Jordan, who represents Poole in southern England, acknowledged the political risk of his stance but said he couldn’t “support making disabled people poorer.”
Maskell, also confirming her suspension, called on Starmer to rebuild bridges with the party’s backbenchers and said engaging with dissenting voices would “make him a better prime minister.”
A fragile start for Starmer’s leadership
Starmer, who won a landslide general election in July 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative rule, has faced a rocky first year in office. His government has made several U-turns on key policies — including reversing a plan to cut winter heating benefits for pensioners and launching a national inquiry into child sex exploitation after initially resisting calls to do so.
Political scientist Steven Fielding from the University of Nottingham described the suspensions as a calculated attempt to impose party discipline.
“He wants to send a signal to all the others that rebelled… that, ‘Okay, you’ve got away with this one, but if you keep going, this is going to be your fate,’” Fielding said.
However, he warned that such a hardline approach could backfire, given the size of the rebellion and ongoing discontent within the party.
“I think he’s going about it in the wrong way. He needs to talk to and understand why the MPs are doing this.”
Challenges ahead
Despite commanding a huge majority of around 160 seats in Parliament, Starmer is under pressure as Labour now trails Reform UK — the right-wing party led by Nigel Farage — in several national polls. Critics within Labour argue that Starmer’s centrist strategy and focus on combating Reform have alienated the party’s traditional centre-left base.
Labour has not yet issued a public response to the suspensions.
With the next general election not expected for another four years, Starmer faces the dual challenge of restoring party unity while navigating rising public dissatisfaction and opposition from within his own ranks.
