Government majority ‘gone by Easter’ if rebellion continues – shadow minister

Shadow leader of the House of Commons Chris Philp has said the Government’s majority will be “gone by Easter” due to their “significant back bench rebellion” over the two child benefit cap.

During Business questions in the Commons on Thursday, Mr Philp derided Labour’s 167 majority, saying that former Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority Government had not “managed a rebellion within three weeks of an election”.

On Tuesday the Government comfortably defeated an SNP-led amendment to scrap the two child benefit cap, but seven Labour MPs had the whip suspended for defying the party line and backing the amendment.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, ex-business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain and Zarah Sultana have been suspended from the parliamentary party for at least six months.

Mr Philp said: “The Government has sent mixed messages about plans to scrap or not the very reasonable two child cap on welfare payments, but then on Tuesday the Government whipped their MPs to vote against that.

“There was a significant backbench rebellion less than three weeks after the election, not even not even Theresa May managed a rebellion within three weeks of an election.

“So it’s a bit of a first and at this rate, the Government’s majority will be gone by about Easter of next year.”

Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell said she “won’t be taking” advice from her shadow counterpart as the Tories had “left the country in a worse state than even our worst fears”.

She said: “As we end our third week in Government though, it is clearer than ever before that the Conservatives failed in their responsibility and left the country in a worse state than even our worst fears.”

Liberal Democrat spokesperson Wera Hobhouse also quizzed Ms Powell about the seven-member rebellion.

The MP for Bath advised the Commons Leader to take advice from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, saying, “‘beware; for I’m fearless, and therefore powerful’. I expect the Prime Minister hopes that new group of independent MPs he has created will not become such a monster.”

Ms Hobhouse added: “As child poverty is one of the main drivers of mental illness, it is no surprise that young people’s mental health services are now at breaking point.

“Liberal Democrats want to ensure that when budgets are tight, support for children and young people’s mental health is not pushed aside.”

Ms Powell replied: “It’s absolutely right that those elected on a manifesto to bring that King’s Speech in should vote for it overwhelmingly and they did in Parliament this week, and I’m incredibly proud of the huge numbers of people who supported that King’s Speech programme.

“On child poverty, these issues have been raised a number of times in recent weeks. This Labour Government – as any Labour government – is absolutely committed to tackling child poverty, and not just the symptoms of child poverty, but the root causes of child poverty.”

Elsewhere in the session, as a former Home Office minister, Mr Philp criticised the Government over their “rebranded” migration terminology.

He said: “I also noticed the Government has rebranded ‘illegal’ immigration as ‘irregular’ and that they merely want to ‘control’ it.

“Can I say to the Government that entering this country by small boat is illegal? It may help them to refer to Section 24 of the Immigration Act 1971 as amended, if they’re in any doubt.

“The Government’s objective should be to completely stop illegal immigration not merely to control it.”

Ms Powell responded: “(Mr Philp) talks about redefining issues of illegal migration. I do remember the former home secretary redefining the backlog as a ‘queue’, I think, under the last government, but far from stopping the boats we saw the boats over the last year reached record highs coming over so their plan just wasn’t working.”

In the weekly business statement Ms Powell announced that legislation designed to help nationalise the UK’s railways will be fast-tracked through the House of Commons as the Government is “getting on with the job”.

She said the Passenger Railway Services Public Ownership Bill will undergo its committee stage and remaining stages on September 3.

Ms Powell added the Budget Responsibility Bill, due to be debated at second reading on July 30, will also complete its remaining stages in the Commons on September 4.

The Great British Energy Bill will receive its second reading on September 5.

Ms Powell said: “Our first bills considered next week to bring our railways back into public ownership, putting passengers not profit first, and to protect our economy and family finances from the Conservative Trussonomics of which (Mr Philp) was an author.

She added: “What a contrast to the dying days of the last Government. So if he’ll forgive me, I won’t be taking his advice, but I will continue realising the change the country is crying out for.”