Party ‘bullying’ could lead to more Labour MPs resigning

A CULTURE of ‘bullying and intolerance’ within the Labour Party could spark further resignations, a senior Scots MP warned yesterday.

Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray said Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘outriders’ on social media had hounded the MPs who resigned yesterday and warned there ‘will be more than seven’ unless the Labour leader takes a strong stance.

Mr Murray, who is the party’s longestserving MP north of the Border, said: ‘The current Labour leadership is breaking the broad church that this party once built its electoral success upon – a broad church which delivered Labour governments that lifted millions and millions of people out of poverty.

‘The challenge now is for Jeremy Corbyn to listen and learn – and decide if he wants to keep the Labour Party together or if he will continue to foster a culture of bullying and intolerance where his own MPs feel unwelcome and are being forced out.’

Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: ‘What I see is seven individuals at their wits’ end, all with their individual reasons as to why they’re leaving. I know they’ll all be doing it with a great sense of sadness and regret.

‘When you hear someone like Luciana Berger talk about anti-Semitism in the party, you can’t help but be sad about the experience that she’s had. I want to see people joining the Labour party. I want it to be a broad church.’

It also emerged the rebel MPs had considered asking Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson to get involved in their new centrist group, initially called the Independent Group, before the idea was dismissed as a ‘non-starter’.

Lothians Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who was Mr Corbyn’s Scottish campaign manager, said: ‘It is very disappointing to see seven Labour MPs repeat the mistake of the SDP and shore up the Tories – this will be looked on very badly by Labour voters.’

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: ‘The manifesto all Labour MPs stood on in the 017 general election was and remains a unifying vision. The Tory Party’s failed solutions represent a dead end. We must do nothing to let them off the hook.’

Shadow Scottish Secretary Lesley Laird, MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, called on the rebel MPs to resign and call by-elections.