It comes after Sir Keir suspended four Labour MPs over repeated breaches of party discipline. Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff and Rachael Maskell all had the party whip removed, all of whom voted against the government's welfare reform bill earlier this month.

Sir Keir Starmer is tipped to lose his seat to a more left-leaning candidate at the next general election, according to a new analysis of the polling data. A survey by Find Out Now just days ago found that Starmer's disgraced predecessor Jeremy Corbyn's new party would draw level support with Labour at a General Election.

Sir Keir Starmer rejected comparisons to Sir Tony Blair when grilled over the suspension of Labour MPs due to their opposition of welfare cuts. Sky News' Beth Rigby recalled how 47 MPs voted against the former Labour prime minister's welfare plans in 1997, but none had the whip removed.

As per reports, the decision is part of a broader initiative to reform voting laws, aiming to increase civic engagement and remove obstacles that prevent people from voting. The government has described the move as an effort to 'modernise the country's democracy'.