21 Labour MPs abstained on the Charter of Budget Responsibility vote tonight. Labour had been planning on voting in favour of the measure until Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell announced a reversal of that position on Monday, causing tonight’s vote to be a whipped opposition. LabourList understands that around 16 MPs, including some Shadow Cabinet members, were unable to make the vote tonight and so are not included in the list of active abstentions.
Chris Leslie, who served as Shadow Chancellor between May and September, said yesterday that he planned on abstaining. He was joined by former leadership candidate Liz Kendall, former Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt, and former Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Shabana Mahmood.
Former Welfare minister Frank Field, former Shadow Health minister Jamie Reed, and former whip Graham Jones were also among the abstentions. The full list is as follows:
Fiona Mactaggart
Rushanara Ali
Ian Austin
Ben Bradshaw
Adrian Bailey
Shabana Mahmood
Ann Coffey
Angela Smith
Simon Danczuk
Jamie Reed
Chris Evans
Graham Stringer
Frank Field
Gisela Stuart
Mike Gapes
Margaret Hodge
Tristram Hunt
Graham Jones
Helen Jones
Liz Kendall
Chris Leslie
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