Independent group: Labour MPs fear more will quit as emotions run high at party meeting
John McDonnell and Emily Thornberry attend heated PLP gathering
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Your support makes all the difference.Emotions ran high at the Parliamentary Labour Party's weekly meeting as MPs reeled from the resignation of seven of their colleagues.
Ian Austin - a prominent critic of Jeremy Corbyn - told journalists gathered outside that he believed more people are considering taking the same course of action as those who splintered from the party on Monday morning at a surprise press conference.
Another politician described the meeting as a "complete and utter waste of time".
Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Mike Gapes, Ann Coffey, Angela Smith and Chuka Umunna have all resigned the whip, in what is being seen as the most significant split in British politics since the breakaway of the Social Democratic Party in the 1980s.
The parliamentarians will now sit as an “Independent Group” as they appeal to MPs from all parties to “leave the old tribal politics behind".
During the party meeting MPs Ruth Smeeth and Stella Creasy both said they would remain in the organisation, but Ms Smeeth was said to be visibly upset as she addressed colleagues during a short speech.
Some of Labour's top team attended the meeting including the shadow chancellor John McDonnell and the shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry.
The Labour leader himself was not present at the event as he was attending a funeral outside of London, a source told The Independent.
Tom Watson earlier warned Jeremy Corbyn that more Labour MPs will quit the party unless he agrees to changes.
Labour’s deputy leader spoke out after seven MPs announced their immediate resignations from the party, hitting out at Mr Corbyn’s leadership and policies on Brexit and antisemitism.
Ms Berger said in a speech on Monday that Labour had become “institutionally antisemitic” and added: ”I am leaving behind a culture of bullying, bigotry and intimidation.”
There were some early signs on Monday evening that The Independent Group might attract support from disenfranchised Conservatives to the new centre-ground anti-Brexit grouping in the chamber.
If you would like to see how the day's events unfolded live please see what was our live coverage below:
The Independent Group is supported by a company called Gemini A, which was registered by Labour MP Gavin Shuker on 16 January - suggesting today's split had been planned for quite a while...
Former England captain Gary Lineker has backed a new protest calling for a fresh Brexit referendum.
The "Put It To The People March" will take place on 23 March, just days before Britain is due to leave the EU.
He says:
“Lots of people tell me I should stay out of the Brexit debate. 'What's it got to do with you?' they say to me.
“It would certainly be easier and a lot less hassle. But it wouldn't be the right thing to do.
“I care about this country. It's the only one we've got and when I see it in great peril, I want to do what I can to help. I'm not ashamed to be a patriot and neither should you be. And patriots don't let their country fall over the cliff edge.
“We're now running out of time and space on Brexit. On 23 March there will be just six days left before we are due to leave the EU and I'm pretty certain that week will be our last chance to demand a democratic final say on the Brexit mess.
“I can't fix Brexit. But maybe, together, we all can. Do your bit for your country by joining the Put It To The People March at High Noon on March 23.”
This is an interesting response from the leader of Britain's biggest trade union, Unison. Other union bosses have criticised the departing MPs but Dave Prentis says Labour "must get its act together"...
Luciana Berger says she did not discuss her decision to leave Labour with Jeremy Corbyn.
She has not met Mr Corbyn since 2017, she said, adding:
"I was invited to a meeting for the first time in that intervening period at the end of last week. I was not able to make that meeting because I was going up to the constituency.
"But it comes at the end of what's been a pretty horrendous 11 months. I've certainly sought to raise things privately and I've been very public also within the confines of the Parliamentary Labour Party."
Justice secretary David Gauke says he is looking at how to use technology to clamp down on prison kingpin's illicit spending.
He said:
"I believe we are nearing a time when a combination of technology and radical thinking will make it possible for much more intensive and restrictive conditions to be applied in more creative and fundamental ways outside of prison.
"I believe the biggest potential comes from being able to better target someone who makes large profits from committing a financial crime like fraud.
"Or the kingpin drug baron who makes his money one step removed from the violence and misery this illicit trade creates."
Responding to the seven MPs leaving Labour this morning, Laura Parker, national coordinator of left-wing campaign group Momentum, says:
“Labour’s common sense socialism has widespread support amongst the public, has inspired hundreds of thousands to join the party and caused the most spectacular electoral comeback in British history.
Labour now has a plan to rebuild Britain. These MPs want to take us back to the politics of the past.
With a back to the Blair years programme of privatisation, tax cuts for the rich and deregulation of the banks, they offer no concrete solutions, no new ideas and have no support amongst the public.
Across Europe, parties stuck in the middle of the road mould have no young supporter base to speak of and are plummeting in the polls, enabling the rise of the far right.
Tens of thousands of volunteers regularly come out and campaign for Labour. This fringe minority of MPs have today not set out any agenda capable of inspiring anything remotely similar.”
This tweet, in which the Young Labour group suggested the seven leaving MPs are "cowards" and "traitors", is causing a row online...
Young Labour's chair says the tweet is "entirely inappropriate" and that members of the group's executive committee are voting on whether to delete it...
Labour members in Streatham have received this email calling for a by-election in the wake of this morning's resignations.
"I can no longer support Corbyn becoming prime minister, which is why after 22 years I'm leaving Labour," says Chuka Umunna.
Read his column here:
The UK and Israel have agreed a deal that will see trade between the two countries continue after Brexit on the same terms as the current EU-Israel deal.
Announcing the "continuity agreement", international trade secretary Liam Fox said:
“Britain's relationship with Israel is stronger than it has ever been with record levels of bilateral cooperation in trade and investment between our two nations. Today’s agreement will further help ensure UK and Israeli businesses, exporters and consumers have the certainty they need to continue trading freely and in confidence as the UK prepares to leave the EU.
“We look forward to further strengthening an ambitious trade and investment relationship with Israel as we work closer together in the future.”
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