PRO-PALESTINE Muslim women MPs were singled out for punishment today as Labour whips refused to restore Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana to the parliamentary party.

The two leading left MPs were suspended with five others in July for voting against the government’s policy of maintaining the cruel two-child benefit cap.

The plan to target them was first reported exclusively in the Star last month.

Four rebel MPs have been readmitted to the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) – Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussein and former leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey.

The fifth, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, also remains suspended, but that may be a consequence of his police interview under caution following a Palestine solidarity protest last month, at which the police staged a crackdown.

Despite his criticisms of the government, he may regain the whip if the Metropolitan Police decide not to press charges. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was also questioned under caution.

Today, Ms Begum said: “I have found out in a news article that I’ve not had the Labour whip restored, which was removed for voting to scrap the two-child limit.

“Almost half of all children in my borough grow up in poverty. I want to be clear: I will always stand up for the people of Poplar and Limehouse.”

Ms Sultana, who first heard from the media, rather than the whips, that her exclusion continues, said: “Turns out speaking up for Palestine is still a punishable offence.”

While the decision is ostensibly taken by Labour chief whip Alan Campbell, is well understood that Sir Keir Starmer will ultimately have made the call.

The apparent victimisation of Ms Sultana and Ms Begum will further strain the Prime Minister’s links with the Muslim community, already buffeted by his pro-Israel stance and a succession of incidents of Islamophobia within Labour.

Mr McDonnell said he was “pleased my colleagues got the whip back but disappointed Zarah and Apsana haven’t yet.”

He added that he was “relaxed about my own position, as I’ve made clear I don’t expect the whip back until we know whether police are to charge me following the recent Palestinian demo, after which I was interviewed under caution.”

Mr McDonnell has made it clear that he wants to have his PLP membership restored in good standing.

However, the Independent Alliance, a group of pro-Gaza MPs elected last year that includes Mr Corbyn, hopes that Ms Sultana and Ms Begum will align with it.

Both have been outspokenly critical of the government, not just on Palestine but on a range of issues.

The MPs now back in the PLP will, along with others on the left of Labour, have to decide whether they will now knuckle under to the government’s agenda of austerity and deregulation or face permanent exclusion by rebelling in future.