LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s Labour Party suspended four of its lawmakers on Wednesday for organising plans to vote against the government over its welfare reforms, an attempt by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to re-assert his control.
Starmer’s authority was undermined earlier this month when dozens of Labour lawmakers forced a U-turn on key parts of welfare reform plans, making it more difficult for the cash-strapped government to make needed spending cuts.
Empowered by their victory, some in Starmer’s team feared that Labour lawmakers, many of them elected for the first time at last year’s election, would attempt to force the government into other costly decisions, such as scrapping a two-child limit on welfare payments to parents.
A further three lawmakers had trade envoy roles removed. A Labour lawmaker briefed on the decision said that the suspensions were aimed at reinforcing party discipline.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by William James)
