Seven MPs quit Labour in protest over Brexit and antisemitism

[muriel_volestrangler]

Seven Labour MPs, including Chuka Umunna and Luciana Berger, have resigned from the party saying they will sit as a new independent group.

Berger, the MP for Liverpool Wavertree, said it had been a “difficult, painful but necessary decision” for them all.

The other five MPs are Gavin Shuker, Angela Smith, Chris Leslie, Mike Gapes and Ann Coffey.

Berger said she had become “embarrassed and ashamed” to be in the Labour party because of its failure to tackle antisemitism in its ranks.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/18/chuka-umunna-and-other-mps-set-to-quit-labour-party

[T_i_B]

1. My MP is one of those splitting

Not surprised as she's had a vote of no confidence from her local party for not being pro-Corbyn enough. She's been very good indeed on the disastrous project to leave the EU but there are a number of other issues where there are concerns such as her support for fracking and links to the water industry. She's been critical of Corbyn and at loggerheads with Momentum for some time.

[T_i_B]

2. My local MP has already made quite a gaffe

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-47283899/former-labour-mp-angela-smith-criticised-over-skin-colour-comment

One of the seven MPs who resigned from the Labour Party on Monday has been criticised over a comment about skin colour.

Angela Smith appeared on BBC Two's Politics Live programme and in a discussion about race, appeared to say: "It's not just about being black or a funny tinge."

The MP has since posted a video on Twitter apologising for the comment, adding: "I am very upset that I misspoke so badly."

[T_i_B]

3. And then there were eight...

Link to tweet

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Labour MP apologises for suggesting Israel funds Independent Group

A Labour MP has apologised for suggesting Israel could be secretly funding Luciana Berger and other MPs who quit the party on Monday citing unhappiness with Labour’s approach to tackling complaints of antisemitism.

Ruth George, the MP for High Peak, withdrew the comment and said she had no intention of invoking a conspiracy theory, when she responded to someone asking whether it was appropriate to say the seven departing MPs were “Israelis”.

The MP had written on Facebook: “Support from the State of Israel, which supports both Conservative and Labour ‘Friends of Israel’, of which Luciana [Berger] was chair, is possible and I would not condemn those who suggest it, especially when the group’s financial backers are not being revealed.

“It’s important for democracy to know the financial backers for any political group or policy.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/labour-mp-ruth-george-israel-funding-independent-group-luciana-berger

That doesn't exactly help Labour's reputation.