Overview
- Neil Duncan-Jordan, Chris Hinchliff, Brian Leishman and Rachael Maskell rejoin the Parliamentary Labour Party after talks with the chief whip and a review of recent conduct.
- The four were suspended in July for repeated discipline breaches after voting against disability benefit reforms that were later dropped following a large backbench revolt.
- Maskell and Duncan-Jordan reiterated commitments to Labour values in statements after returning, with Hinchliff praising constructive discussions with the new chief whip.
- Three of the MPs entered Parliament in 2024, and all had also opposed elements of planning policy or other measures in addition to welfare proposals.
- The decision comes as Labour manages internal pressures ahead of Rachel Reeves’s Budget, with debate over potential tax rises reported and recent disciplinary cases elsewhere resolved or ongoing.