Sir Keir Starmer has taken away the whip from seven rebel Labour MPs who defied the Government in a vote over the two-child benefit cap, in what was the first rebellion since he formed his Government.
Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana have been suspended from the parliamentary party for six months, after which their position will be reviewed.
The first Commons rebellion came on Tuesday (July 23) as the Government comfortably defeated calls to scrap the cap.
But the division list showed seven Labour MPs rebelled to back the SNP-led amendment.
More than 40 Labour MPs recorded no vote, with some of those listed spotted in the chamber throughout the day, while others will have had permission to miss the vote.
The House of Commons voted 363 to 103, a majority of 260, to reject the amendment tabled in the name of SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.
Slow handclapping could be heard in the chamber after the result was announced.
But what are whips, and what does losing the whip mean?
What are whips?
Whips are members of the House of Commons or members of the House of Lords appointed by their parties. It is their job to “help organise their party’s contribution to parliamentary business”, including “making sure the maximum number of their party members vote, and vote the way their party wants”, according to parliament.
Whips ensure that their members vote for their party’s agenda. They are especially important when the Government has a small majority and is more likely to be defeated in either house.
What is a chief whip?
The chief whip is responsible for carrying out the whipping system. It is his or her job to make sure that party MPs attend and vote in parliament, and that they vote in support of the party’s agenda.
Sir Alan Campbell was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip) on July 5, 2024.
What is the whip?
The whip refers to either the person responsible for the system or a weekly message about upcoming parliamentary business that the whips send out to their MPs or lords and ladies. It tells politicians how they should vote or will tell them that they have to vote.
The importance of the vote is designated by the number of underlines – with three underlines being the most serious. This is called a three-line whip, and defying it is very serious.
But the whip can also be lost.
What does it mean to lose the whip?
MPs can lose the whip when they defy their party. It means that they are expelled from the parliamentary party. However, they do not lose their position as MP but sit as independent members until the whip is restored and they would usually remain as party members.
In 2019, 21 Tory MPs voted to block a no-deal Brexit, going against the Conservative Party under Boris Johnson. Sir Nicholas Soames and Ken Clarke – who had been a Tory MP for 49 years – were among those who had the whip removed.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn lost the whip in 2020 over his response to the equalities watchdog’s report into antisemitism in the party.
How can MPs be removed?
MPs can be removed in a recall election, which was introduced in the UK in 2015 in response to the MPs’ expenses scandal in the run-up to the 2010 general election.
There are three circumstances in which MPs can be recalled:
- If they have been convicted of any offence and sentenced or ordered to be imprisoned or detained. (MPs sentenced to more than 12 months in jail are automatically disqualified.)
- If they are suspended from the House following a report and the Committee on Standards recommends a sanction for at least 10 sitting days.
- If they are convicted of an offence under section 10 of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, which means making false or misleading parliamentary allowances claims.
The recall election involves a petition, which will be open to constituents for six weeks. If 10 per cent of eligible registered voters sign the petition, the MP loses his or her seat and a by-election will be called.
