Labour MPs refuse to back SNP call to scrap the two-child benefit cap

Before last night’s (Tuesday) vote, SNP leader Stephen Flynn urged government backbenchers to “vote with their conscience” and support a House of Commons amendment to scrap the cap.

But MPs voted 363 to 103 – a majority of 260 – to reject the amendment tabled in the name of Mr Flynn, who claimed afterwards not a single Scottish Labour MP backed his amendment pressing for the policy to be abolished “immediately”.

All three MPs representing the Falkirk Council area – Brian Leishman, Euan Stainbank and Kirsteen Sulliven – rejected the Nationalist’s amendment.

Only seven Labour MPs rebelled against the government, all of whom are on the left of the party. They were Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, Rebecca Long Bailey, John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana, several of whom have been outspoken critics of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership and defied the whip previously.

In a hardline approach, the Prime Minister immediately suspended the rebels, who had been warned they would lose the whip if they voted against the government.

Speaking after the vote, Brian Leishman said: “Tackling child poverty is a priority for the government. It is a central part of delivering the government’s mission to create and spread opportunity for every child and young person in our country.

"Living in poverty scars children’s lives and their future prospects. This is why we are committed to reducing child poverty and reversing the trend under the previous government that saw child poverty rise with 700,000 more children living in poverty. Over four million children are now growing up in a low-income family.

"We recognise the size of the task ahead and therefore we have announced our child poverty taskforce.”

He said the new ministerial taskforce would drive “cross-government action” on child poverty, adding the taskforce would be co-chaired and key departments with the power to make a difference to children’s lives will all be involved

He added: "We understand that it takes the entirety of government to tackle poverty, not just one department.

"We promised concrete actions in our manifesto across all departments to support children and families. This includes free breakfast clubs in every primary school setting every child up at the start of the day ready to learn, expanding childcare to deliver work choices for parents and life chances for children, stronger protection for families who rent privately, and action to tackle high energy bills and slash fuel poverty.

"Good work will be the foundation of our approach to tackling child poverty. Where these policies are devolved to the Scottish Parliament, spending decisions will lead to consequential payments for the Scottish Government.

“Our New Deal for Working People will ensure that the minimum wage is a genuine living wage, and reformed employment support will mean that many more people have the opportunity to benefit from the dignity and purpose of employment. Alongside this, we will be reviewing Universal Credit so that it makes work pay and tackles poverty.

"As the consequences of the previous Government’s September 2022 mini budget demonstrated, when a government makes unfunded commitments, then the economy is damaged, and it is working people who end up paying the price. That mini-budget forced both mortgages and rents up and has meant more families are facing even more hardship.

"Please rest assured that the new Labour Government is doing everything in it's power to reduce child poverty and remedy the inequalities that exist in our society, it is core to our missions and we will deliver on it.”

The vote came just hours after Mr Leishman had made his maiden speech in the House.

Ahead of the vote Falkirk SNP had urged the local Labour trio of MPs to back their party’s amendment.

An SNP spokesperson said: "“Our new local MPs all campaigned to provide real help for working people and families. They promised to send a government to Westminster to change Scotland for the better – now is their chance to back that up and show everyone who they are with their actions, following their successful campaigns.

“A vote for the SNP’s amendment to scrap the two-child cap will set a marker down for the type of Labour government we are going to see over the next term. Will they do the right thing and lift thousands of children out of poverty, or will they choose, instead, to rebrand Tory austerity as Labour austerity?

“We would encourage our new Labour MPs to put the children and families of Falkirk district first and start their term in government by delivering the change that they eagerly promised.”

SNP analysis suggests an estimated 87,100 children in Scotland live in households hit by the two child cap over the last year - with a total of 1,486,760 children hit across Britain.

The SNP proposal was backed by Plaid Cymru, the Green Party and other MPs, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – who is now an Independent.

The cap was introduced in 2017 by then-Conservative chancellor George Osborne and restricts child welfare payments to the first two children born to most families.