Labour restores whip to McDonnell and Begum as conference looms

Keir Starmer’s Labour has reinstated the party whip for two rebel MPs, John McDonnell and Apsana Begum, after discussions with the party’s chief whip, Jonathan Reynolds. McDonnell and Begum were among a group that voted against the Government on the King's Speech last July, triggering suspensions that also affected four other rebels: Ian Byrne, Richard Burgon, Imran Hussain and Rebecca Long-Bailey. The seventh member of the original group, Zarah Sultana, later resigned from Labour to co-found a new left-wing party with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. McDonnell, who once served as Corbyn’s shadow chancellor, and Begum are now independent MPs rather than Labour members, pending the formal restoration of the whip.\n\nIt is understood the suspensions ended on Friday after talks with the chief whip. The decision marks a rare moment of reconciliation for a party navigating internal divisions ahead of its annual conference, and it comes as the party seeks to present a unified front on policy issues that have divided MPs and activists alike. The restoration restores voting rights to McDonnell and Begum on Labour matters, allowing them to participate in parliamentary processes as part of the party’s broader effort to manage a fractious left flank while maintaining discipline on the floor of the House of Commons.\n\n[image]\n\nMinisters are facing renewed pressure to abolish the two-child benefit cap, a policy that has become a litmus test for Labour’s stance on social welfare. Both candidate teams for Labour’s deputy leadership have expressed opposition to the cap, and voices beyond Parliament, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, have called for reform. The issue is expected to be a prominent feature of Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, which opens this weekend. In the wake of the whip decisions, party officials argue that a clear, credible position on welfare reform could help bridge divides between the leadership and the left wing of the party that has long pressed for more radical policy changes. Opposition to the cap has become a rallying point for MPs who say the current policy does not reflect the realities faced by families and children, while supporters argue it is a necessary check on public spending.\n\nSeparately, Britain’s elections watchdog has faced backlash after it refused to reopen a probe into donations allegedly tied to Labour Together, the think-tank that supported Starmer’s rise to leadership. The Electoral Commission said there was no basis to reassess why Morgan McSweeney failed to declare more than £700,000 in donations to Labour Together, a group previously reported to have influenced the party’s funding landscape during Starmer’s ascent. The commission emphasized that its earlier findings, published in 2021, identified numerous breaches related to late reporting of donations totalling £739,492 and the failure to appoint a responsible person, and that the sanction imposed at the time remained appropriate. The Conservatives had urged a broader examination, arguing that additional offences might have occurred if information had been withheld from the original inquiry, but the watchdog said the matter did not qualify as a new offence because the initial review was voluntary.\n\nThe donation case has fed into a broader narrative of turbulence around Starmer’s inner circle, with critics pointing to the influence of McSweeney, and to questions about transparency and accountability in party fundraising. Labour, however, has sought to keep the focus on policy and leadership reform as it prepares for a potentially intense conference program. The party’s hierarchy argues that restoring the whip to McDonnell and Begum signals a willingness to reconcile with mainstream left voices while maintaining a disciplined approach to key votes and parliamentary strategy.\n\nThe conference backdrop is further complicated by public sparring between party figures and regional voices. Andy Burnham, the elected mayor of Greater Manchester, has used recent interviews to push a more expansive, tax-and-spend agenda and to encourage discussions about leadership within Labour. Burnham has signalled openness to working with other progressive forces, including the Liberal Democrats and Jeremy Corbyn, and he has called for constitutional changes such as proportional representation to encourage cross-party cooperation. He has also suggested he could stay in his current role through 2028 and paused any immediate bid for a Westminster seat, though MPs have questioned whether his long-term path might ultimately involve a return to national politics. Government ministers, including Housing Secretary Steve Reed and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, have publicly urged Burnham to focus on his current job in Greater Manchester and to avoid destabilizing the party by pursuing a leadership challenge. Reeves stressed that while internal debate is healthy, the party must stay united in Government efforts to deliver change, noting the scale of borrowing pressures facing the country and cautioning against speculative leadership contests during a crucial policy window.\n\nAnalysts say Labour’s ability to manage rebellion, policy direction, and fundraising scrutiny will be tested in Liverpool. The party faces a delicate balancing act: addressing long-standing left-wing pressures that helped propel Starmer to leadership, while maintaining a credible, electable stance that can withstand scrutiny from voters and rivals ahead of local and national elections. With the conference looming, party members, MPs and voters will be watching to see whether the whip restoration translates into a more cohesive parliamentary front and whether Labour can chart a clear path on welfare reform, governance, and economic policy that resonates across the country.