Disabled MPs Express Concern Over Labour Rule Changes Amid Backbench Anger
Keir Starmer and Labour MPs in the House of Commons, May 2025 (PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo)
3 min read
Disabled Labour MPs have expressed concern over proposed changes to the rulebook of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
The reforms proposed include potential disciplinary action against MPs who do not campaign enough in their constituency and fail to “deliver on key targets” agreed with the party.
MPs have been told these requirements will only apply to campaigning in their own seats, not in twinned seats or by-elections, but some are not convinced that this has been made clear enough in writing.
PoliticsHome understands that disabled MPs have flagged worries with the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) office over, for example, whether reasonable adjustments would be made if they are asked to travel long distances to campaign for candidates in other parts of the country.
The move suggests anger among backbenchers over the changes is more widespread than originally thought, having previously been a concern chiefly voiced by more long-standing MPs.
The changes would also see annual elections removed for parliamentary committee reps, with these contests held instead at the start of each parliamentary term.
The PLP Office tried to push through rulebook changes in April, shortly before parliamentary recess, on a day when MPs were on a one-line whip, which meant they were not required to be in Parliament.
The move angered veteran MPs, who pointed out that all six PLP committee reps who were most recently elected are from the 2024 intake of MPs: Polly Billington, Adam Jogee, Emma Foody, Satvir Kaur, Zubir Ahmed and Gareth Snell. (Snell is not strictly new to the Commons, having been an MP from 2017 to 2019.)
The reps meet each week with the Prime Minister, Chief Whip and Commons Leader, as well as the Labour Party chair, general secretary and other senior figures, to raise the thoughts and feelings of fellow backbenchers.
PoliticsHome understands that unhappy MPs are now pushing for by-elections for the reps to be held, on the basis that two of them – Foody and Ahmed – have since become parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs), which means they are no longer backbenchers.
Dissatisfaction with the reps has spread to fellow members of the 2024 intake who have privately complained that they are too loyal to the government to be effective in their roles as reps.
A 2024 intake Labour MP told PoliticsHome: “I wouldn’t feel safe or comfortable taking my problems to them.” Suggesting trust is low, they added that, if they were to raise a concern, they would only be willing to do so anonymously.
Backbench Labour MPs were invited to a meeting on Monday to air their concerns with their Parliamentary Labour Party committee representatives. But MPs had been informed that standing orders would not be discussed, one MP invited told PoliticsHome.
The meeting was ultimately cancelled after the fact that it had been planned was leaked to Politico.
The situation was described as a “shitshow” by one unhappy Labour MP, adding: “People are raging.”
