Minister dismisses Labour rebels as ‘usual suspects’; Starmer prepares for final PMQs of parliamentary session – UK politics live

Good morning. Originally Keir Starmer was hoping that there would not be a need for a PMQs today, but we have got one, and it will definitely be the last of the 2024-26 parliamentary session. It will be a chance for Starmer to reflect on all the legislation passed.

There is some relief that the government won the vote on Kemi Badenoch’s call for Starmer to be referred to the privileges committee with ease. Here is our overnight story by Pippa Crerar, Ben Quinn and Jessica Elgot.

Labour MPs were also cheered by Darren Jones’ speech winding up the debate, of which more later.

Some 53 Labour MPs did not take part in the division last night – some because they were authorised to be away, others because they were abstaining deliberately because they did not want to vote against the motion – but only 15 voted with Badenoch. Here is the list.

Labour MPs voting for Badenoch’s privileges motion Photograph: HoC

At the start of this session of parliament, Starmer removed the whip from seven Labour MPs who voted for an SNP amendment to the king’s speech motion calling for the two-child benefit benefits cap to be abolished. Subsequently this was seen as an over-reaction (not least because abolishing the cap later became government policy), and in an interview this morning Steve Reed, the housing secretary, played down the prospect of last night’s 15 rebels having the whip withdrawn. Asked if they should lose the whip, he told Times Radio:

double quotation markThere was a handful of usual suspects who did what they tend to do. I’m not in charge of discipline, I’m not too bothered about them to be honest.

And he told Sky News:

double quotation markYou’ve got a handful of usual suspects that will repeatedly vote against the government. They’re not going to distract us.

You know, we’ve got the renters’ rights reforms coming in this Friday, which gives renters, people who rent their home, the biggest increase in protections and rights that we’ve had for a generation.

That is what voters want us to focus on, not a handful of people that go off and don’t play the team game with the rest of us.

Ninety nine percent of us are united with the prime minister so that we can focus on the issues that matter.

Reed’s maths is a bit off; the 15 rebels amount to about 4% of the PLP, not 1%. But you get the point.

Here is the agenda for the day.

Noon: Keir Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.

1.15pm: Parliament prorogues with a ceremony in the House of Lords.

2pm: Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, holds a press conference on plans to “keep Trump, Musk and Putin out of our politics”.

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