Rebel Labour MPs ‘to form breakaway centrist party’ after getting sick of Jeremy Corbyn
At least six Labour MPs are thought to be drawing up plans to resign the party whip and form their own centrist political group
A GROUP of Labour MPs unhappy with Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership are preparing to dump the left-wing party and form their own movement, according to reports.
The disaffected rebels are said to be unhappy with the party’s stance on Brexit as well as other key issues such as immigration and foreign policy as well as the party’s issues over antisemitism.
At least six MPs are thought to have been drawing up plans to resign the whip and leave the party, according to .
Discussions are also said to have taken place involving senior party figures which involved a larger group breaking away from Labour at some point after Brexit if Jeremy Corbyn fails to fully oppose Theresa May’s Brexit plan to leave the European Union.
Angela Smith, Chris Leslie and Luciana Berger have been named as three of the rebel MPs.
While they refused to be drawn on the issue of a split within Labour they did not deny that moves could be made in spring or early summer.
Leslie dismissed the rumours in Westminster as “speculation” but told the paper: “A lot of people’s patience is being tested right now. I think there are some questions we are all going to have to face, especially if Labour enables Brexit.”
Berger, who is the parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, said she was angry at the perceived failure of the party to deal with the complaints over antisemitism within the party.
No concrete plans for a breakaway party have been finalised but The Observer claims the rebel MPs are hoping moderate Tory and Lib Dem MPs would join them to form a new centrist party.
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The news will be a further headache for the party after the latest opinion poll showing Labour slipping further behind the Tories.
An Opinium poll for The Observer has Labour trailing the Conservatives by seven percentage points.
The Tories are currently ahead on 41 per cent with Labour dropping to 34 per cent despite the PM struggling to get her Brexit deal proposal through Parliament.
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