Labour Restores Whip to Four Rebel MPs, Three Remain Suspended

Four Labour MPs, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, and Rebecca Long-Bailey, have had the whip restored after being suspended for six months for rebelling against the government's two-child benefit cap. The suspension followed their support for an SNP amendment aimed at scrapping the cap, which restricts welfare payments for families with more than two children, affecting approximately 1.6 million children. Meanwhile, three other MPs—John McDonnell, Apsana Begum, and Zarah Sultana—remain suspended, prompting criticism from the socialist campaign group Momentum, which labeled the situation an 'insult to our democracy.' The government had defeated the amendment with a vote of 363 to 103, marking a significant moment in Labour's internal dynamics under Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. The reasons behind the continued suspension of the three MPs have not been clarified, but their cases will be reviewed in the future.