Exclusive: Labour Benefit Cap Rebels Warned They Face Fresh Crackdown As Winter Fuel Payment Vote Looms

John McDonnell (right) and Richard Burgon are among the seven Labour MPs who had the party whip suspended in July.

Seven MPs suspended by Labour could face a fresh crackdown by party bosses if they vote against the government’s decision to means test winter fuel payments, HuffPost UK can reveal.

John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Zarah Sultana, Ian Byrne, Apsana Begum, Imran Hussain and Rebecca Long-Bailey had the party whip taken off them for six months in July after they defied Keir Starmer to back calls for the two child benefit cap to be scrapped.

However, they are still expected to vote with the government while they serve their suspension.

A party source said: “Their suspension letter says they are still expected to follow the Labour whip, which they are sent weekly.”

Ministers have agree to a Commons vote next Tuesday on chancellor Rachel Reeves’ controversial decision to remove winter fuel payments from around 10 million pensioners.

Two of the seven rebels – McDonnell and Sultana – have already said they are prepared to vote against the government again unless ministers water down their plans.

Four others – Burgon, Hussain, Byrne and Begum – have also signed a Commons motion calling on ministers to U-turn.

Sultana told HuffPost UK: “I’m planning to vote to keep pensioners out of fuel poverty as I did with voting to lift the two child benefit cap to keep children out of poverty.

“I look forward to the process about the whip concluding in January.”

McDonnell said: “I have told the whips that unless the government comes up with a serious change in its proposal, I will vote against.”

But HuffPost UK has learned that if they do vote against the government, they are unlikely to get the Labour whip back when their current suspension ends in January.

A Labour source said: “It is a shame that some MPs who were only too happy to ride the coat tails of the party’s success at the election are now using the incredibly difficult things we have to do to yet again undermine the government and their colleagues.

“If they are more comfortable hanging out with Jeremy Corbyn and his friends, they should just be honest about it.”

Labour insiders fear as many as 20 of the party’s MPs could rebel on Tuesday, however at this stage there are no plans to take the whip off them.