Labour party MPs revive powerful soft-left caucus

Senior MPs who were the architects of the Labour welfare rebellion are to revive a powerful caucus on the party's soft left to influence the budget and beyond, in a move likely to further unnerve No 10.

- Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor

The former cabinet minister Louise Haigh and Vicky Foxcroft, a former whip who resigned to vote against welfare cuts, are to take the reins of the Tribune group with the aim of giving an organising voice to their wing of the party. Key figures in the group, which hopes it will attract more than 100 MPs to revitalise the caucus, were major players in Lucy Powell's successful deputy leadership campaign.

They also include the former minister Justin Madders, Sarah Owen, the chair of the women and equalities committee, and Debbie Abrahams, the chair of the work and pensions select committee. Two other new MPs will also steward the group: Yuan Yang and Beccy Cooper. Leading figures in the group have been pushing for Labour to take a bolder and openly progressive approach to take on Reform and the Green party.