Seven UK Labour MPs suspended by party after voting to scrap two-child benefit cap

Image Credit: Shreyas Sane via Unsplash

The UK Labour party have suspended seven MPs after they voted in favour of scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

The two-child benefit cap is a policy that was introduced in the UK in 2017 that limits benefits and child tax credits to the first two children in most households. This means that families cannot claim benefits on additional children born after 2017, and thus limits the support families can get. According to Right to Life UK, government data revealed that 243,000 families had been affected by the two-child benefit cap by April 2020.

This has ultimately been a motivator for abortion. According to a survey conducted in 2020 which questioned mothers with two or more children who then went onto have an abortion, of those who were in receipt of tax credits, 57% “said that the policy was important in their decision-making around whether or not to continue the pregnancy”.

In a vote on an amendment that would scrap the two-child benefit cap, only seven MPs from the Labour party had voted in favour. The amendment was ultimately rejected by 363 votes to 103, and the seven MPs were subsequently suspended after the vote.

The suspension from the Labour party means that the seven MPs will now be sitting as independent MPs. Commenting on her suspension, Zarah Sultana, MP said that she was not aware that her vote would result in her suspension, but knowledge of this would not have changed how she voted.

“I’m following Keir Starmer’s example as he said put country before party”, said John McDonnell, another MP who was suspended, when he explained why he voted in favour of the amendment.

Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, commenting on the news, saying “The extent to which our society discourages women from continuing with their pregnancies is saddening. We know that women feel pressured into having abortions for any number of reasons, and sadly, at this time, it appears that the two-child benefit cap is contributing to pressure on women to have abortions. We urge all MPs to prioritise policies that support families and protect the dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death”.