LEADER WHO’S LOST THE PLOT
Seven decent MPs resign from party they brand ‘institutionally anti-Semitic’ led by a man who’s a ‘threat to national security’. And where was Mr Corbyn on eve of historic schism? Down at the allotment ...
JEREMY Corbyn was told to prepare for more resignations last night as Labour was blown apart by the biggest split in British politics in 40 years.
Seven MPs officially quit the party yesterday, saying they could no longer remain in a party that was ‘institutionally anti-Semitic’, ‘racist’ and a threat to national security.
One said it would be ‘irresponsible’ to allow Mr Corbyn to become Prime Minister. But, on the eve of his party’s greatest crisis, the Labour leader spent hours on Sunday down at his allotment in north London.
Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson warned ‘many others’ could quit and that the party ‘may see more days like this’. He admitted that he sometimes ‘no longer recognises’ his own party.
As many as 50 MPs are now understood to be considering their positions, with Labour sources expecting a ‘steady trickle’ of departures.
The split threatens to deal a fatal blow to Mr Corbyn’s hopes of ever reaching Downing Street and throws Labour’s future as a potential party of government into doubt.
At the same time, the Labour defectors – led by MP Luciana Berger – appealed to Remain- supporting Tories and Liberal Democrats to join their Independent Group as they took the first steps to setting up a new
centrist, soft Brexit force. On an extraordinary day at Westminster:
Former home secretary Lord Blunkett warned in an article for the Mail that ‘we are facing the potential disintegration of the Labour Party’;
An opinion poll for the Mail found the breakaway movement had gone from nowhere to being Britain’s third most popular political group overnight, damaging Mr Corbyn’s hopes of entering No 10;
Tom Watson pleaded with Labour supporters not to accuse the breakaway group of betrayal, saying the party urgently needed to confront the scale of its problems;
The newly-formed group immediately faced an online backlash from supporters of Mr Corbyn who branded them ‘cowards’ and ‘traitors’;
In an emotional meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth broke down in tears as she accused the leadership of failing to tackle anti-Semitism;
It emerged Derek Hatton, hard-Left ex-deputy leader of Liverpool council, had been let back into the party;
Several Remain-backing Tory MPs were on resignation watch as Nick Boles, Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston, Phillip Lee, Justine Greening and Heidi Allen all refused to rule out joining the Labour defectors.
Shortly after 10am, the seven MPs appeared at a press conference at London’s County Hall to announce they had moments earlier quit Labour to found a new Independent Group.
Miss Berger, Chuka Umunna, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Mike Gapes, Ann Coffey and Angela Smith said they were ‘ ashamed’ of Mr Corbyn’s leadership, condemning his handling of Brexit and anti-Semitism.
Announcing their decision, Miss Berger told the press conference: ‘ This morning we have all now resigned from the Labour Party. This has been a very difficult, painful, but necessary decision.’
She added: ‘ For my part, I have become embarrassed and ashamed to remain in the Labour Party.
‘I cannot remain in a party which I have come to the sickening conclusion is institutionally anti-Semitic.’
The Jewish MP – who has previously been the target of anti-Semitic tweets and was protected by bodyguards at last year’s party conference following death threats – accused the Labour leadership of ‘wilfully and repeatedly failing to address hatred against Jewish people within its ranks’.
Mr Leslie, who described Labour as ‘rotten to its core’, said it would be ‘irresponsible’ to allow Mr Corbyn to become Prime Minister, warning that his policies ‘ would threaten our national security’. He accused Labour of ‘betraying’ the country over Brexit.
The MPs called on both Tories and Liberal Democrats to join their new group, as they rejected comparisons with the Social Democratic Party, which was founded by the ‘Gang of Four’ breakaway Labour MPs in 1981.
In a direct appeal, Mr Umunna urged them to ‘leave the old tribal politics behind’, adding: ‘We invite you to leave your parties and help us forge a new consensus on a way for- ward for Britain.’ In a statement, Mr Corbyn said he was ‘ disappointed’ by the announcement.
But Mr Watson, the deputy leader, warned the resignations were a ‘wake-up call’ for the party. He said Miss Berger had fallen victim to ‘a virulent form of identity politics that has seized the Labour Party’.
In a stark message about Labour’s future, he continued: ‘I confess I feared this day would come. And I fear now, that unless we change, we may see more days like this.’