Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has been removed from her role as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Ghana after voting against government reforms to disability benefits, prompting murmurs of unrest among the party’s left wing.
Ribeiro-Addy confirmed her dismissal in a statement on social media, describing the action as retaliation for her vote on July 9 against the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill.
The bill, which sparked wide controversy, proposed reforms that included cuts to disability support under Universal Credit. 47 Labour MPs defied the party whip during the final vote.
She had served as trade envoy to Ghana since January 2025 and represented the Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency in South London.
She was among three trade envoys dismissed this week. The others are Rosena Allin-Khan, MP for Tooting and former UK-South Africa envoy, and Mohammad Yasin, MP for Bedford and former envoy to Pakistan.
Ribeiro-Addy, who has Ghanaian heritage, is also chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ghana and the APPG on African Reparations.
She previously worked as a political adviser to Diane Abbott MP and has built a strong following since her election to Parliament in 2019. After recent boundary changes, she won her current seat with an increased majority of over 18,000 votes.
Meanwhile, four other Labour MPs have had the party whip withdrawn after backing an amendment to the same bill. Among them is Rachael Maskell, MP for York, who described the bill as an “omnishambles.”
Although Labour holds a commanding 399-seat majority in Parliament following its 2024 general election victory, tensions are mounting on the back benches. The government has struggled to curb spending and revive growth as unemployment creeps upward.
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