UK: 7 MP’s resign from Labour Party over leader’s handling of Brexit, anti-Semitism

The approach adopted by the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn concerning Brexit and anti-Semitism has forced no less than seven members of the opposition party to quit.

The Labour Party members who threw in the towel include; Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker and Ann Coffey.

While speaking hastily at an arranged news conference in London, they accused Corbyn of leading the party to the far left, and criticised the party’s handling of alleged anti-Semitism.

Ms Berger said Labour had become institutionally anti-Semitic and she was “embarrassed and ashamed” to stay.

“If you want an alternative please help us build it,” said Umunna who has led a cross-party campaign for a second referendum on Brexit and was once seen as a potential Labour leader.

“Politics is broken. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

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Reacting to the move by the seven MP’s to resign, Mr Corbyn said he was “disappointed” the MPs had felt unable to continue working for the policies that “inspired millions” at the 2017 election.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said the “honourable thing for them to do” would be to stand down and fight by-elections.

He said Labour was “a family”, adding: “We shouldn’t splinter in this way.

“It is better to remain in the party, fight your corner.”

The development comes after Prime Minister Theresa May suffered another defeat over the next steps she intends to take in her bid to secure a Brexit deal with the European Union.

May according to reports experienced another symbolic defeat as her moves to ring in concessions from Brussels on a key sticking point in her deal were defeated by a majority of 45 votes on Thursday.

Reacting to May’s recent set back, Professor Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe academic think tank, said: “It damages her strategy in the sense that it might give the EU some pause for thought because they will be a bit concerned that the majority she thought she had is fizzling away.”

May’s rejection makes it less likely she will secure changes to the controversial “backstop” mechanism to avoid the creation of a hard customs border in Northern Ireland after Brexit.

 

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