‘We were elected as a team under a banner and under a manifesto, and we have to seek to work together’
Labour MP Jess Phillips has defended the Prime Minister’s decision to suspend four Labour MPs, saying that party unity had to be maintained and that they were elected “as a team under a banner and under a manifesto” and could “expect” to face disciplinary action if they did not vote with the government.
Phillips told Sky News that those acting in a manner that undermined the ability of the government to deliver on its programme shouldn’t expect anything different than the disciplinary action they have received.
Keir Starmer has suspended four Labour MPs who voted against the government on its flagship welfare bill earlier this month, while stripping a further three of their roles as trade envoys.
Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff, Neil Duncan-Jordan and Rachael Maskell all lost the whip, meaning they are no longer part of Labour’s parliamentary party and will sit as independent MPs.
The move has drawn criticism in some quarters, however Phillips has defended the decision.
She told Sky News: “We were elected as a team under a banner and under a manifesto, and we have to seek to work together, and if you are acting in a manner that is to undermine the ability of the government to deliver those things, I don’t know what you expect.
“Now I speak out against things I do not like, both internally and sometimes externally, all the time.
“There is a manner of doing that, that is the right way to go about it. And sometimes you feel forced to rebel and vote against.”
Labour Party sources have said that the suspensions occurred due to “persistent breaches of party discipline”.
Maskell was one of the lead rebels in the welfare revolt, and has more recently called for a wealth tax to fund the U-turn. Hinchliff, the MP for North East Hertfordshire, put forward a number of amendments to the flagship planning and infrastructure bill criticising the government’s approach, while Duncan-Jordan, the MP for Poole, led a rebellion against the cut to the winter fuel payments.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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