Indian-origin MP, shadow cabinet min join Labour Brexit bill rebellion

BRITAIN’S OPPOSITION Labour party faced a mounting crisis on Friday after Indian-origin MP Virendra Sharma refused to back the Brexit bill intended to trigger the UK’S official exit from the EU while one of its South Asian MPS quit her shadow Cabinet role over the issue.

Ealing Southall MP Sharma said his constituency had “overwhelmingly” voted to remain in the EU and he could not ignore their voices. “I will not vote for a Brexit blank cheque... I cannot in good conscience vote to trigger Article 50 while it will threaten people’s jobs, wages and pensions,” he said.

“Access to the Single Market and a legal commitment to ensure the labour rights, health and safety protections, consumer rights, and environmental standards we currently enjoy are all key to my political beliefs,” Sharma said. “If we cannot get clarity on our relationship with crucial international institutions then I will not vote to trigger Article 50 without a real plan for the future,” he said.

His announcement follows party colleague Tulip Siddiq’s resignation from her shadow Cabinet role as education minister in order to vote against the new Brexit bill in Parliament.

The niece of Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina stepped away from the Labour frontbench following party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to impose a whip on Labour MPS to vote in favour of triggering Article 50.

“On the announcement of the three-line whip on the Article 50 vote, I feel I have no choice but to resign from my frontbench role as shadow minister for early years. I do not support the triggering of Article 50 and cannot reconcile myself to the frontbench position,” the 34year-old MP for Hampstead and Kilburn in north-west London said in her resignation letter.

“I have always been clear — I do not represent Westminster in Hampstead and Kilburn, I represent Hampstead and Kilburn in Westminster,” Siddiq said. PTI