Starmer’s first Commons rebellion over moves to scrap two-child benefit cap

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has faced his first Commons rebellion as the Government comfortably defeated calls to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

Seven Labour MPs rebelled to support the SNP-led amendment to the King’s Speech, according to the division list released on Tuesday evening.

They included former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and former shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey.

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, majority 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.

The cap was introduced in 2015 by then-Conservative chancellor George Osborne and restricts child welfare payments to the first two children born to most families.

Mr Flynn said: “Tonight, the Labour Party has failed its first major test in government.

“Labour MPs had the opportunity to deliver meaningful change from years of Tory misrule by immediately lifting thousands of children out of poverty – they have made a political choice not to do so.

“This is now the Labour government’s two-child cap – and it must take ownership of the damage it is causing, including the appalling levels of poverty in the UK.”

Ahead of the vote, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said there is “no silver bullet” to end child poverty but acknowledged the “passion” of Labour MPs who were considering rebelling over the continuation of the Tory measure.