Veteran MP Frank Field quits Labour over ‘racism’
FRANK Field resigned the Labour whip in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s botched handling of the party’s anti-Semitism crisis.
The veteran, MP for Birkenhead since 1979, also hit out at a culture of “bullying and thuggery” as he said it was “increasingly seen as a racist party”. He now plans to sit as an independent Labour member.
Branding Mr Corbyn a “force for anti-Semitism in British politics” in a letter to chief whip Nick Brown, he wrote: “Britain fought the Second World War to banish these views from our politics but that effort is now under huge internal attack. The leadership is doing nothing substantive to address this erosion of our core values. “It saddens me to say we are increasingly seen as a racist party. This issue alone compels me to resign the whip. The second reason is a culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation now reigns.” Work and Pensions Committee chairman Mr Field added: “At best, failure to act on complaints about thuggish conduct demonstrates a wilful denial. At worst, it serves to legitimise bullying.” Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson said: “It is a major wake-up call. We cannot afford to lose people of such weight and stature.” Mr Field told the Mirror he had acted to try “to ensure things change”. He said: “I have not spoken to anybody else. I’m not part of any plot and I expect Jeremy to lead us into the general election.”
He added he still hoped to rejoin the party if it made “great changes”.
Mr Field’s broadside comes after a torrid few months for Mr Corbyn.
He was this week branded an antiSemite and likened to Enoch Powell by ex-Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
A Labour spokesman said: “Jeremy thanks Frank Field for his service.”
Tory Party chairman Brandon Lewis said: “Frank Field’s resignation is a damning indictment of Jeremy Corbyn’s total inability to take action against bullying and anti-Semitic racism within Labour.”
FRANK Field’s decision to resign as a Labour MP caps a difficult summer for Jeremy Corbyn.
The Birkenhead MP has never shied away from challenging the party line and, although his parting shot was written more in despair than anger, his concerns should not be blithely brushed aside.
The Labour leadership knows that more must be done to tackle anti-semitism and accusations of bullying and intimidation.
But those seeking to destabilise Mr Corbyn must remember the only people who benefit from Labour turmoil are the Conservatives.
The country needs an effective opposition more than ever and the party must come together and end the bitterness and infighting.