Why Frank Field has resigned the Labour whip
Veteran MP criticises Jeremy Corbyn as anti-Semitism row engulfs party
Labour MP Frank Field has resigned from the party’s group in Parliament, warning that the party is becoming a “force for anti-Semitism”.
Field, who has held the seat of Birkenhead since 1979, said in a letter of resignation to chief Labour whip Nick Brown that he was quitting “for two principal reasons”.
“The first centres on the latest example of Labour’s leadership becoming a force for anti-Semitism in British politics,” the veteran MP wrote, citing what he claims were “a series of attempts by Jeremy [Corbyn] to deny that past statements and actions by him were anti-Semitic”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“Britain fought the Second World War to banish these views from our politics, but that superhuman effort and success is now under huge and sustained internal attack,” Field added.
He cited as his second reason “a culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation now reigns in too many parts of the Party nationally”.
Field, who remains a member of the Labour Party, will now sit as an “Independent Labour Member” for Birkenhead, becoming the third Labour MP to quit the party whip this year.
Labour sources in Parliament say the resignation could trigger a “full-scale existential crisis of the Labour Party”, amid reports of a “potential parliamentary breakaway by MPs furious at the party leadership’s handling of anti-Semitism”, according to The Independent.
Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, said Field’s move was a “serious loss” to the party that “reflects both the deep divisions in the party and the sense of drift engulfing us.
“It is a major wake-up call. We cannot afford to lose people of such weight and stature,” Watson warned in a statement.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Unpasteurised milk and the American right
Under the radar Former darling of health-conscious liberal foodies is now a 'conservative culture war signal': a sign of mistrust in experts
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Government shutdown looming? Blame the border
Talking Points Democrats and Republicans say funding for immigration enforcement is the budget battle's latest sticking point. That's about all they agree on.
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Conservatives have not limited their attack on reproductive rights to the US'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Britain's biggest political donors
The Explainer With the 2024 general election set to be the highest-spending contest ever we look at who is giving to which party and why
By The Week UK Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What will £28bn green investment U-turn cost Labour?
Today's Big Question Dropping flagship pledge 'will confirm workers' scepticism of the endless promises of jam tomorrow', said union leader
By The Week UK Published
-
Why your local council may be going bust
The Explainer Across England, local councils are suffering from grave financial problems
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak and the right-wing press: heading for divorce?
Talking Point The Telegraph launches 'assault' on PM just as many Tory MPs are contemplating losing their seats
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
How many seats do Labour and the Tories need to win?
In depth Changes to constituency boundaries mean Labour needs even bigger swing at next election to form a majority
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published