Labour rebels defy leaders in spending vote
GEORGE Osborne’s new spending rules were passed by MPs last night as Labour’s leadership faced its first Commons rebellion.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell had begged Labour MPs to vote against the Tories’ Charter for Fiscal Responsibility, which forces future governments to spend less than they receive in tax during “normal times”.
But it was passed by 320 votes to 258 after a small group of just under 20 Labour MPs decided to abstain from voting. Mr McDonnell previously backed the plan and admitted his change of heart was “embarrassing”.
However, he insisted: “This is not an economic debate, it is about the politics of the dismantling of the welfare state.”
One rebel Chris Evans said: “Labour should support a budget surplus in principle.”
And Jamie Reed added: “I’ll be abstaining. It’s a pantomime proposition.”