Rebel Labour MPs Face Final Warning Over Breaking Ranks With Party Line

Rebel Labour MPs who vote against the whip or make controversial statements that break with the party's line are heading towards a final warning that breaches now may not be forgiven ahead of the election as patience wears thin in the whips' office.

In recent years Labour MPs have lost the whip on a number of occasions as the party pivoted towards taking an increasingly tougher line on discipline under Keir Starmer's leadership. Labour MP Rupa Huq had the whip removed in October 2022 after calling then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng "superficially black" during a conference fringe event. Huq issued an apology, and five months later had the whip restored. 

However PoliticsHome understands that while previously an apology or period of reflection could result in the whip being reinstated, with the general election looming whip losses are now likely to be final and MPs who are suspended prevented from standing for Labour and new candidates will be selected instead.

"The chief whip was annoyed that a lot of them voted with the SNP on Gaza, and he says he's at the end of his tether with a lot of them," a Labour source told PoliticsHome. 

"And if they're going to vote against the whip in future, they're on last warning – they're just going to remove the whip, there's not even any messing about anymore."

PoliticsHome understands that this feeds into a broader frustration and a growing lack of patience with MPs to the left of the party who have made controversial comments about sensitive topics like the war between Israel and Hamas and desire among leadership to drop MPs who "cause trouble". 

On Saturday, MP for the London constituency of Edmonton Kate Osamor had the whip removed for saying Gaza should be remembered as a genocide on