Apsana Begum one of seven MPs suspended from Labour Party over two-child benefit cap

Apsana Begum, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, is one of seven MPs to have had the Labour whip withdrawn on Tuesday night for rebelling against the government, in a vote on removing the ‘two child benefit limit’.

Under the current benefits system, lower-income families are entitled to claim Universal Credit or tax credits for their children. However, since 2017 when the rules were changed by then-chancellor George Osbourne, these payments are only available for the first two children in a family: any additional children are ineligible. This is what’s known as the ‘two child benefit limit’. 

Currently, more than 4.3 million children in the UK live in poverty, with some of the highest rates concentrated in and around Apsana Begum’s constituency in East London where poverty affects 56% of children. A recent report from the Child Poverty Action Group described lifting the two child limit as ‘the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty’. 

On Sunday, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted that she could not do so without saying where the £3bn annual cost was ‘going to come from’. 

Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside spearheaded the rebellion, gathering at least 19 signatures from colleagues in the Labour Party on a letter to the Chancellor asking that she reconsider. 

As recently as yesterday morning she told the media, “We are a very rich country so we should be able to find the funding to be able to remove this cap, to remove 300,000 children from poverty immediately”.

However, ultimately she and most of her supporters failed to rebel, writing on X, “Voted with the gov tonight for unity but made it clear: the massive strength of feeling is undeniable. It must be a priority for our first budget”. 

Apsana Begum voted to end the cap, alongside veteran left-winger John McDonnell, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Imran Hussain, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, and Zarah Sultana.

In a post on X, Ms Begum wrote:

‘I voted against the two-child benefit cap which has contributed to rising and deepening levels of child poverty and food insecurity for many East End families.

I have now been informed that I have had the whip withdrawn.’

In some instances, the government restores the whip to MPs whom they have suspended, but Apsana Begum may remain as an independent MP for the rest of the Parliamentary term. 

You may also be interested in reading about requests to NEC for Apsana Begum to be de-selected before the General Election 2024.