Parliamentary Labour Party refuses to oppose cap on welfare spending

Submitted by AWL on 14 January, 2022 - 3:34 Author: Robert Sturn
Parliament vote on welfare cap

The Tories’ parliamentary majority is 73. But on 10 January a proposal to retain a cap on large elements of welfare spending passed with a majority of 252. 306 voted for the proposal and only 52 against.

(This is different from the better known “benefit cap” limiting the total amount people can receive in benefits. However it is another aspect of the same Tory war on the welfare state.)

In the midst of Boris Johnson’s crisis over flouting lockdown restrictions, this attack should be generating more outrage. In fact it seems to be largely passing under the radar.

The reason for the government’s huge majority and maybe also for the lack of outcry is the behaviour of the Labour Party. The vast bulk of the Parliamentary Labour Party didn’t vote. Only 16 Labour MPs, if you count Labour Party-suspended Jeremy Corbyn and Claudia Webbe, voted against. One Labour MP voted both for and against, presumably by mistake. 183 didn’t show up. (That includes a few of the more solidly left-wing MPs, presumably because they were unable to take part for some reason rather than as a political stance.)

It has been reported that this performance was on the instruction of the Labour whips – ie Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership. Typically, the leadership has not explained its decision. My guess would it be wants to quietly brief journalists that it is not “soft” on welfare and public spending, and maybe flag this to right-wing voters when the point of major controversy with Labour members and supporters has passed.

Typically, this is very stupid “politically”, ie in terms of electoral strategy, as well as bankrupt “morally”.

This kind of nonsense will continue until the labour movement rallies itself to at the very least seriously scare Starmer.

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