Keir Starmer’s left-wing purge sparks Labour panic as rebels warn PM ‘rolling out red carpet for Nigel Farage’

The group of unreprimanded rebels warned that Starmer’s decision could risk handing Farage’s Reform a major boost at the next General Election.

Liverpool West Derby Ian Byrne, who was previously suspended after rebelling on scrapping the two-child benefit cap last summer, declared that Starmer's "decisions don't show strength".

"They are damaging Labour's support and risk rolling out the red carpet for Reform," Byrne added.

Ex-Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon added: “After the suspension of myself and others last year for opposing the two-child benefit cap, I had hoped the leadership would take a different approach to backbenchers.

“Sadly, it isn’t yet doing so. To help stop a Reform Government, it really must do so.”

Reform UK has opened up leads over Labour in the last 65 opinion polls, with Nowcast handing Farage a four-point advantage over Starmer.

While Starmer is not expected to announce any additional suspensions soon, ex-Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott appeared to goad the Prime Minister about her suspension in 2023.

Abbott, who recently ruled out joining Jeremy Corbyn’s new hard-left party, said: “I just think that it’s silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism.”

Starmer suspended the quartet of Labour rebels just over a fortnight after suffering the biggest revolt of his premiership.

The group of mutinous MPs were summoned to Chief Whip Alan Campbell's office for a formal dressing down yesterday.

Meanwhile, Labour MPs Rosena Allin Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin have all been sacked as trade envoys.

A total of 47 Labour MPs rebelled against Starmer's welfare reforms, cutting the Prime Minister's majority to just 75.

However, dozens of Labour MPs dropped their opposition to the welfare reforms after Starmer put forward 11th hour concessions.

Following his suspension, Duncan-Jordan said: "Since being elected, I have consistently spoken up for my constituents on a range of issues, including most recently on cuts to disability benefits.

“I understood this could come at a cost, but I couldn’t support making disabled people poorer.

“Although I’ve been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party today, I’ve been part of the Labour and trade union movement for 40 years and remain as committed as ever to its values."

Leishman added: "I wish to remain a Labour MP and deliver the positive change many voters are craving.

“I have voted against the Government on issues because I want to effectively represent and be the voice for communities across Alloa and Grangemouth.

“I firmly believe that it is not my duty as an MP to make people poorer, especially those that have suffered because of austerity and its dire consequences."

There had even been speculation that the Prime Minister is clamping down on his backbench rebels amid fears some could join Jeremy Corbyn's rival party.

The Corbyn-supporting pressure group Momentum said: "Suspending the whip from MPs who stood against welfare cuts is a desperate act from a failing Government.

"This crack down on dissent is a pathetic response to dire poll ratings and threatens to tear apart not the Labour Left but the Labour Party itself."

Starmer launched a separate purge just weeks after winning the 2024 General Election, with seven MPs being suspended on July 23 last year.

John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana were all suspended for supporting an SNP amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

Burgon, Byrne, Long-Bailey and Hussain's suspensions were ended in early 2025, with Zultana later announcing her intention to co-lead Corbyn's hard-left rival party.