'People are not more important than the team': Minister backs Labour rebels' suspension

The suspension of 4 Labour rebels sends the "right signal" that if MPs stray excessively acold extracurricular they are "undermining the team" and that cannot beryllium allowed, a elder curate told Sky News.

Steve Reed, the situation secretary, told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips determination are "ways of going about" concerns MPs whitethorn person with policies - and determination are "ways of not going astir that".

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Earlier this week Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff, Neil Duncan-Jordan and Rachael Maskell were suspended from Labour aft voting against the government's payment reforms. They volition present beryllium arsenic autarkic MPs.

Some backbench Labour MPs person criticised Sir Keir Starmer's decision arsenic "appalling" and a "terrible look", but Mr Reed powerfully supported the move.

The situation caput said helium understands they were suspended "not for immoderate 1 peculiar issue, determination was a signifier of behaviour".

"I deliberation it is just that if you're portion of a team, you should beryllium required to play the squad game," helium said.

"You tin marque your views known, but if you spell excessively acold outside, you're really undermining the full team. We can't let that."

He added: "If radical deliberation they're much important than the team, they request to deliberation again."

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Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott was besides suspended this week, pending an investigation, aft defending erstwhile comments wherever she said radical of colour person a antithetic acquisition of racism than achromatic people, specified arsenic Jewish, Irish and travellers.

It is the 2nd clip she has been suspended implicit the aforesaid issue, aft she said the aforesaid happening past twelvemonth up of the election, but was readmitted aft apologising.

Mr Reed said helium is "very disappointed" successful Ms Abbott but her suspension is "out of my hands".

"I respect Diane, I've known Diane for many, galore decades. I deliberation it's a shame she did what she did," helium added.

Commenting connected the suspension, Ms Abbott told Sky News: "It's evident this Labour enactment wants maine out. My comments successful the interrogation with James Naughtie were factually correct, arsenic immoderate fair-minded idiosyncratic would accept."

The clip of the interrogation was re-posted by Mr Leishman, 1 of the MPs suspended connected Wednesday, who said: "Diane Abbott has fought against racism her full life."