Derek Hatton withdraws his application to rejoin the Labour party
2 min read
Derek Hatton has withdrawn his application to rejoin the Labour party.
The controversial left-winger was allowed back into the party last month more than 30 years after he was expelled for membership of Militant.
But Mr Hatton, who was deputy leader of Liverpool City Council in his political heyday, was suspended just days later after a tweet he posted about Israel in 2012 re-emerged.
Labour's ruling National Executive Committee had been due to consider his case on Tuesday.
But a spokesperson for the party said: "Derek Hatton has withdrawn his membership application and is therefore not a member of the Labour party."
Many Labour MPs reacted angrily when Mr Hatton was allowed to rejoin the party, news of which emerged on the same day seven of them quit to set up The Independent Group.
Shadow International Development Secretary Barry Gardiner said: "I think it was a travesty. Many of us knew for some while that he had applied to re-join the party, but for the news of his readmission to come to public attention on the day, on the very day when some members of our party were forced out I think was appalling."
Speaking when his readmission was revealed, the veteran firebrand said: "During that 30-odd years that I was expelled, I never once stood against, supported, voted against any Labour candidate.
"It’s very topical it should be at the time when seven members resigned today because obviously there were times when it was very tempting to go a different way - during the Iraq War, loss of Clause IV, many things - but I believed then as I believe now the Labour Party is the political arm of the trade union movement.
"Whatever is happening, that’s the place to stay."
PoliticsHome revealed earlier this month that Labour general secretary Jennie Formby was warned by a top party official to reject Mr Hatton's membership application, but chose not to do so after consulting with Jeremy Corbyn's office.
A Labour source insisted Ms Formby had behaved appropriately throughout the process.
"The matter was referred to the relevant NEC committee to consider in accordance with the party’s rule book," they said.
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