That seven MPs have quit the Labour Party sums up how appalling a leader Jeremy Corbyn truly is; the country now has a chance to unite the “politically homeless” but nothing will change unless they don’t bring others from other parties with them
This morning, seven Labour MPs quit the party to sit instead as what they are calling The Independent Group. They spoke at a press conference in Westminster and claimed their former party had been “hijacked by the extreme left” and has “turned its back on the British public.”
One of their number, Luciana Berger MP, was first to speak. She remarked: “I am embarrassed and ashamed by the Labour Party… It is institutionally anti-Semitic and willfully ignores hatred against Jewish people.”
Chris Leslie MP, coming next, added:
“Enough is enough… There has to be a better way forward and there is a better way forward… Our differences go far deeper than Brexit… We can no longer knock on doors and support Jeremy Corbyn.”
“The Labour leadership is hostile to business and makes impossible promises… They constantly pit one part of society against the other… The modern world is more complicated than this.”
Ann Coffey MP, a member of the Labour Party for 41 years, spoke of her “pride” in the last Labour government but claimed: “I leave the party with great sadness… The Labour Party is no longer a broad church… Anti-Semitism is rife and tolerated… It is failing the people who have supported the Labour Party all their lives.”
Another in their number, Mike Gapes MP, termed his former party “racist” and claimed “I am sickened that Jeremy Corbyn is on the wrong side on so many issues… A Corbyn Labour government would threaten our international alliances.”
Undoubtedly key to this coup, speaking next, the self-serving and plainly ambitious to be Prime Minister Chuka Umunna MP stated: “When our democracy is failing, we have got to change our politics again. It is time we dumped our outdated politics. We invite others who share our political values to join us.”
He concluded: “We will sit together as an independent group of MPs in the House of Commons. We want to finish directly by speaking to the people who sent us here… If you are sick and tired of politics as usual, you should join with us.”
“We want to invite you, the British people to join us in this endeavour. Politics is broken. Let’s change it.”
Criticising the decision, just as the group’s website crashed, a member of the press asked: “Seven MPs might be enough for a dinner party, but what does it change?” Another journalist, Andy Bell of Five News, suggested these MPs “jumped before they were pushed” but this is indeed a potentially historic moment. With the Tory Party lurching to the hard right and Labour to the extreme left, there is need for those of all political persuasions to break-away and rebuild trust in politics. Without bringing with them from elsewhere, however, this group won’t achieve a damned thing.
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The Independent Group’s website is back up and running. Likely crashed because too many people were trying to access it. Expect more MPs to join this group. Remaining with Labour under Comrade Corbyn is akin to booking steerage on the Titanic.
Hopeless bunch…flash in the pan