Rayner: Labour hopeful is free to fight 2-child benefit cap

But employment law won't be devolved to Scotland

- ANDREW QUINN

LABOUR’S candidate in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election would not be suspended if he voted in future against the two-child benefit cap, its deputy leader has said.

Angela Rayner said Michael Shanks would not be chucked out of the party's Westminster group as "that's not how we work in the Labour Party".

She also said Labour would not devolve employment law to the Scottish Parliament.

Rayner was speaking during a visit to Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries Training College in Glasgow.

Her comments came after Shanks said he wanted to scrap the twochild benefit limit - despite Keir Starmer insisting the party would not do so as it could not make uncosted spending commitments.