Labour in Crisis: Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash Dodges Suspension as Labour Tears Itself Apart Over Welfare Cuts...

Sources told Durham & Teesside Today that Jonathan Brash, Labour MP for Hartlepool narrowly avoided losing the Labour Party Whip by strategically abstaining from a controversial welfare reform bill, only then to support the governments heavily amended motion, but others weren't so lucky....

17th July 2025

Hartlepool’s Labour MP Jonathan Brash has reportedly escaped losing the party whip after initially defying Keir Starmer’s government over its widely condemned welfare reform bill—a bill which, if passed in its original form, would have hammered thousands of disabled and low-income people in towns like Hartlepool.

Stalin like Discipline....

Sources claim Keir Starmer's bid to 'purge' the rebels is something out of Stalins playbook

According to reports, the Labour government has now suspended several MPs for what it calls “persistent defiance” of party policy. Those MPs dared to speak up for the most vulnerable — a move Starmer responded to with what critics claim is 'Stalin-like discipline'.

Brash, who previously abstained on an earlier vote on welfare cuts — sparking outrage among Hartlepool residents — has now apparently backed the watered-down version of the bill, but only after Labour was forced into a humiliating U-turn following pressure from backbenchers and growing public anger...

Starmer Cracks the Whip, Dissenters Purged

Hartlepool Mp Jonathan Brash initially failed to vote on the governments controversial welfare reform bill

In an attempt to reassert his authority and put the boot on the neck of his party rebels, Keir Starmer today suspended MPs Rachel Maskell, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff, and Neil Duncan-Jordan for defying the party whip on welfare votes. Three others — Rosena Allin-Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, and Mohammed Yasin — were stripped of their trade envoy roles.

All seven voted against the Universal Credit Bill, even after Labour had already caved in and removed the most controversial changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

York MP Rachel Maskell made it clear she had been suspended for "standing up for my constituents", whilst others accused the government of "making policy up off the cuff" and "targeting disabled people to save money."

Reform UK Breathing Down Brash’s Neck

Reforms popularity in Hartlepool is surging, as Labour loses council seats to the party.

This revolt comes at a critical time for Labour, particularly in towns like Hartlepool, where the party is haemorrhaging support. Early polling projections suggest Jonathan Brash is on course to lose his seat at the next General Election — potentially by up to 7,000 votes — to Reform UK, who have already made serious gains locally.

Reform recently won two by-elections on Hartlepool Borough Council following the resignation of two Labour councillors, further highlighting Labour’s collapsing support in working-class, left-behind areas.

Brash’s position has become increasingly untenable. His decision to initially sit on the fence on welfare cuts — which would have hit Hartlepool’s most vulnerable residents claiming PIP and Universal Credit — drew sharp criticism. Now, despite Labour backtracking under pressure, his loyalty to Starmer’s increasingly out-of-touch leadership is being questioned.

Civil War Brewing in Labour Ranks

Starmer may claim to be a “hard b*****d,” but his iron-fisted leadership style has provoked what some insiders are calling a civil war within Labour. With welfare, Net Zero, planning rules, and internal democracy all becoming battlefields, the cracks are widening as the economy crashes & inflation rises.

Meanwhile, ex-Labour MP Zarah Sultana has already quit the party and is joining Jeremy Corbyn’s new hard-left movement — another sign that Labour is splintering fast.

Even Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall admitted the welfare reform process had been a "bumpy ride." But despite the climbdown, she still defended the changes, insisting they weren’t about saving money, but about pushing people into work — a narrative that rings hollow in towns like Hartlepool where work is scarce, welfare a lifeline, and people financially at breaking point.

Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash appears to be toeing a fine party line, with many claiming his balance between party & people is 'tearing him apart'....

Jonathan Brash may have survived this round of Labour’s internal bloodletting, but voters in Hartlepool haven’t forgotten his silence when it mattered. With Reform UK rising and Labour collapsing under Starmer’s authoritarian leadership, it’s becoming clear: Hartlepool is up for grabs — and Brash may be finished.