Welsh Labour MP at centre of Westminster “bullying” row
Martin Shipton
Cardiff North Labour MP Anna McMorrin allegedly told a woman MP who has spoken of herself as a domestic abuse victim that the party would withdraw support from her if she voted against the Government.
Apsana Begum was one of seven Labour MPs who defied the party Whip this week and backed an SNP amendment that would have scrapped the controversial two child benefits cap, which opponents argue has plunged hundreds of thousands of children into poverty,
The left wing journalist Owen Jones named Ms McMorrin in a thread on X, formerly Twitter, as the assistant government whip who spoke to Ms Begum, the MP for Poplar and Limehouse in London’s East End.
Jones wrote: “Two MPs tell me that this incident involves Labour Whip @AnnaMcMorrin. It is reported that, on the day of the vote on the two child benefits limit, Apsana Begum mentioned to McMorrin that the general election campaign was difficult, in part because she had to be escorted to the count. It is also reported that the general election campaign was difficult because her ex-husband was standing against her.
“McMorrin then reportedly said that in order to be supported, Begum needed to be a Labour MP – that is, not defy the Whip over the two child limit vote, and thus lose the Whip. It is also reported that Apsana told colleagues afterwards that she was shaken, and felt her request to not talk about this issue in this way was not respectful, and the whole thing had been wholly inappropriate. Now, it’s important to stress that Labour MPs have repeatedly emphasised that the problem with Labour’s Whipping operation is systemic – not a ‘bad egg’. I put these allegations to the Labour party, who tell me: ‘We do not recognise these allegations.’ “
Interview
Ms Begum was interviewed on LBC by the former BBC political editor Andrew Marr. She told him: “I was actually spoken to while I was actually in the chamber, and I was spoken to again before the vote … The nature of the whipping operation was very aggressive. “
Marr asked Ms Begum: “Do you feel you were improperly pressured? Do you feel that you were bullied by the whips?”
She responded: “Yes. It definitely felt like that. I’ve just run in an election in which my ex-husband was standing against me. I have been forthcoming about my experiences of domestic abuse and coercive control – and I really felt that my experiences were being recognised against me in this situation, and that was very shocking.
“Supporting me against my ex-husband being discussed in the context of a whipping operation is in my view unacceptable.
“Of course it’s unacceptable. It’s not just how I’ve been treated by my party in this regard up to now, but effectively saying to support me over domestic abuse was contingent on how I voted was shocking. Whether I have the Whip suspended or not, I’m still a Labour Party member.”
Ms Begum went on to defend her decision to defy the Whips on this issue, saying the party had fought the general election on a manifesto that promised steps would be taken to eliminate child poverty and now it was turning down the opportunity to do so.
A member of Cardiff North Constituency Labour Party who did not wish to be named contacted NationCymru and said: “These alleged actions aren’t just worrying, but seeing as Anna was the Shadow Victims Minister until recently, they’re completely hypocritical too.
“Keir Starmer promised to stop the sleaze of the last government, but this is about as sleazy as you can get. She should do the honourable thing, resign her position as a whip and apologise to Apsana immediately.”
We left a message for Ms McMorrin, later receiving a response from a Labour Party press officer that repeated the line given to Owen Jones: “We do not understand these allegations.”
It is also understood that the Labour Party encourages anyone with a complaint to make one via the party’s standard procedures.
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Shameful way to treat the victim of domestic abuse, a problem inflicted on women that has reached epidemic proportions in the UK. McMorrin should face harsh consequences for such a dereliction of her duty of care for her colleague and setting such a bad example to those trying the battle against domestic abuse.
Unfortunately I am not surprised, I see no tangible benefit from having McMorrin as MP, she does nothing for her locality or for Wales. Dereliction of duty all round.
Sounds like she’s yet another out of the slime pit of templated Labour M.P’s all very loyal to Fuhrer Starmer
What Wales Labour MP Anna McMorrin allegedly said to fellow Labour MP Apsana Begum is below contempt. To threaten repercussions if she voted against the two-child benefit cap and say such a thing to a victim of abuse is absolutely callous. Looks as if Keir Starmer’s Blue Labour party and malicious minions have copy & pasted more than Tory policies. They’ve also taken up the baton as the new Nasty Party it seems.
A friend is one of Anna’s constituents. To say she is missing in action a lot would apparently be an understatement.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Aspana Begum’s account is true though. There have been similar experiences in the not too distant past shared by former councillors about bullying within the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Labour council groups.
At the end of the day it shouldn’t be overlooked that Aspana along with some of the other MPs who have had the whip suspended are very much linked with Corbyn. This runs deeper than just the current issue.
It was this way under Blair. Nothing new. Labour MP’s are forever having mini rebellions. Seems to me that if you put hundreds of people who each stand on their campaign soapbox together under the leadership of a “small c” conservative leadership then some will be hypocrite careerists, some will grit their teeth and grin and bear it whilst others will feel like ants are burrowing under their skin. The trouble with the Labour Party is that they are forever locked in the conflict between the centrism that wins them elections under FPTP and those who believe the party is… Read more »
‘The nature of the whipping operation was very aggressive.’ From what I’ve heard over the years, that’s how ‘whipping’ can indeed work, and that applies to both main Westminster political parties. Hopefully it’s not the tactic of first resort – though it’s a fair assumption that some proportion of 650 MPs are likely to have bullying inclinations, and doubtless they’re the sort who’d relish being appointed as a whip! But it’s a hard fact that most MPs, however pleased with themselves they understandably are if they win their seat, don’t get elected as a consequence of their personal virtues and… Read more »
Please look at Ms McMorrin history as an MP in her constituency that will tell you everything follow that with her behaviour in the commons and that crowns her history. A woman with a very aggressive manner and it’s been witnessed in public.