Sir Keir Starmer’s relentless crackdown on ‘usual suspects’ is warning new MPs he expects total loyalty | Politics News

Did Sir Keir Starmer overreact by suspending seven Labor MPs who rebelled and voted to scrap the benefit cap for two children?

Not according to the Labor leader’s inner circle, obviously. But many Labor MPs – and not just the “usual suspects” on the left – were shocked by his response.

In a recent interview with Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, Mr Keir Said he was relentless. This draconian action confirms this.

Draconian? Well, the SNP amendment that the rebels voted for was defeated by 363 votes to 13, a majority of 260. It wasn’t exactly a cutting vote.

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Arguably, therefore, seven votes against the government occurred neither here nor there. But that’s not the point, according to Starmer’s allies.

A leadership source told Sky News the decision was made “to show that we expect Labor MPs to support the program for which we were elected.”

In his letter to the Rebels, Chief Whip Sir Alan Campbell wrote: “While the Party recognizes the right of Members to abstain from voting in the House on matters of deeply held personal conviction, any possible intention must be informed in advance and as soon as possible to the chief whip.”

And he told the rebels: “This does not give members the right to vote against a Cabinet decision.”

Obviously, the Prime Minister and Sir Alan want newly elected Labor MPs to understand, from the start of this parliament, that rebellion will not be tolerated.

Tony Blair, however, who won a landslide Labor victory in 1997 and again in 2001, was – in comparison with Sir Keir – quite relaxed about the rebellions of the left-wing Socialist Campaign of Labor Deputies group.

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At that time, John McDonnell and his friend Jeremy Corbyn were the leading members of this group, along with Diane Abbott. The Campaign Group regularly organized rebellions by around 30 Labor MPs.

Contrast this with Sir Keir’s expulsion of Mr Corbyn from the Labor Party. Corbyn’s close friend John McDonnell was among the child benefit rebels and it appears Diane Abbott would be, but “personal reasons” meant she could not be at Westminster to vote against the cap.

The other suspended rebels were Richard Burgon and Zarah Sultana, Campaign Group secretary and chair, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, Ian Byrne and Rebecca Long-Bailey. They’re pretty much the “usual suspects” these days.

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Diane Abbott responded to the suspensions by stating that she was “horrified” that colleagues had been suspended for six months for voting against “when removing the cap should be party policy”.

In his letter to the rebels, Sir Alan said that, following the six-month suspension, he would make a judgment on the restoration of the whip “based on your conduct during the suspension and your willingness to obey the whip in future”.

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The next election is almost certainly five years away, so if they behave, they will have hope of being candidates in the next election. Unless Sir Keir and Sir Alan are the type to hold grudges, of course, which is always possible!

Some potential rebels could obviously see what was coming if they voted against the government. Kim Johnson, who tabled his own amendment, voted with the government and Ian Lavery abstained.

Sir Keir clearly believes that his harsh crackdown on the “usual suspects” will serve as a warning to his vast army of newly elected Labor MPs that he expects complete loyalty and discipline from them. If not.