WATCH: Jeremy Corbyn calls on Labour quitters to do the 'decent' thing and stand down as MPs
3 min read
Jeremy Corbyn has challenged the eight MPs who quit Labour this week to resign their seats and call by-elections.
The party leader said going back to their constituents was the “decent and democratic thing to do” after they decided to “abandon the policies on which they were elected”.
Chuka Umunna, Chris Leslie, Luciana Berger, Gavin Shuker, Angela Smith, Joan Ryan, Mike Gapes and Ann Coffey all resigned in protest at Mr Corbyn’s leadership over Brexit and anti-semitism.
They formed The Independents Group, which yesterday saw Tory MPs Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston join its ranks.
But they have all refused calls to quit and trigger by-elections, arguing there is no appetite among voters to head to the polls.
In a direct challenge, Mr Corbyn said in a video message last night: “It is disappointing that some MPs have left our party to sit with disaffected Tory MPs, but we can't return to the failed business of usual politics of the past.
“These MPs now want to abandon the policies on which they were elected so the decent and democratic thing for them to do is to resign and put themselves up for election.”
His comments are likely to increase tensions with deputy Labour leader Tom Watson, who has called on the party to take on board the departing MPs' concerns.
Mr Watson also hit out yesterday at an announcement by shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett that a Labour government would give voters the power to recall MPs who quit their parties, thereby triggering by-elections.
Speaking on LBC, he said: "I didn’t know he was going to do that but it seems to me that whatever the merits of the position that he is putting on recall elections and resigning from parties, it just looks spiteful.
“Those people that left the Labour Party did so with a heavy heart.
“And it looks like we are trying to be knee-jerk about it, rather than looking at the actual issue which is Brexit and the state of British politics.”
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell also pledged a "massive listening exercise" in the wake of their resignations.
Elsewhere in his video message, Mr Corbyn insisted Labour was an “ally” in the fight against anti-semitism, after the eight MPs who quit argued the party had failed to tackle Jew-hate within its ranks.
He said: “I want to make it absolutely clear that I regard the fight against anti-semitism as an absolute priority and we're utterly determined to root out anti-semitism from our party and our society.
“Labour is the only party with a deep-rooted history of combating racism.”
Meanwhile, Momentum has announced plans for a massive canvassing session in the constituencies of the rebel MPs to raise voters' awareness of what they have done.
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