Labour minister Jess Phillips says rebel MPs right to be punished for ‘slagging off own government’
Jess Phillips says MPs should expect fallout for ‘slagging off own government’
- Keir Starmer suspended four Labour MPs, Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman, and Chris Hinchliff, for persistent breaches of party discipline after they voted against the government’s benefits bill.
- Home Office minister Jess Phillips commented on the suspensions, stating that MPs who were “slagging off [their] own government” should expect consequences.
- Rachael Maskell, one of the suspended MPs, criticised Sir Keir’s decision, asserting he was wrong to carry out a purge of rebels and hoping for reflection within the party.
- Sir Keir’s authority was further challenged when senior left-wing MP Diane Abbott reiterated her own controversial comments on racism that previously led to her suspension from the Labour Party.
- Ms Abbott, who was readmitted to Labour in 2024, stated she has no regrets about her 2023 remarks, which differentiated between racism based on colour and other forms of racism.
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks