Keir Starmer, the newly elected British Prime Minister, is set to face a key moment in the House of Commons on Wednesday. This will be his first Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) session since his Labour Party won a decisive victory in the general election held on July 4. The Labour Party secured an impressive 412 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, giving them a strong majority.
For Starmer, this is a significant change from his previous role. As the former leader of the opposition, he was accustomed to asking tough questions of the government. Now, as Prime Minister, he will be on the receiving end of those questions from other lawmakers. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is now the leader of the Conservative Party, will be among those asking questions.
Labour’s election victory came with a clear mandate. Starmer’s party promised to revive the UK’s sluggish economy, boost housebuilding, promote green energy projects, and improve the country’s public services. With such a large majority, Starmer is expected to pass new legislation with relative ease. However, his administration is already facing internal challenges.
One of the first issues Starmer’s government is dealing with involves a controversial welfare policy. The previous Conservative government introduced a rule that limits a widely used welfare benefit and tax credit to only the first two children in a family.
Many anti-poverty groups and Labour lawmakers are pushing for the policy to be abolished, arguing that it contributes to child poverty. However, Starmer’s government has stated that it cannot afford to immediately remove the two-child cap.
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The disagreement over this policy led to a significant development on Tuesday night. Seven Labour lawmakers, including former deputy leader John McDonnell, sided with opposition calls to end the cap. In response, Labour suspended these seven members from the party’s parliamentary caucus for at least six months. Although they will continue to serve as lawmakers, they will now sit as independents.
One of the suspended legislators, Zarah Sultana, defended her decision. She expressed satisfaction with her stance against child poverty, which she believes affects 4.3 million people in the UK. Sultana told broadcaster ITV that she felt she made the right choice by standing up for those affected by poverty, despite the consequences.
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