MORE than 20 Labour MPs rebelled against the party leadership on Monday night in voting against a bill giving a wide range of government informants the legal right to commit crimes.
Keir Starmer whipped his MPs to abstain but the left Socialist Campaign Group, led by the party’s former leader Jeremy Corbyn, snubbed the order and voted against it. No front benchers broke the whip.
In the previous rebellion, on an armed forces bill that raised similar issues, 18 MPs including Corbyn, Diane Abbott and John McDonnell voted against. That time three frontbenchers were fired as a result.
On Monday the bill passed at second reading by 182 to 20. While the exact number of rebels was to be confirmed, Labour sources said the figure was 21 – taking into account the tellers for those voting against.
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