Reactions from Labour frontbench to split news

Seven MPs have quit the Labour Party and formed “The Independent Group”. Here’s our round-up of reactions from Labour frontbenchers, to be updated regularly…

Jeremy Corbyn:

“I am disappointed that these MPs have felt unable to continue to work together for the Labour policies that inspired millions at the last election and saw us increase our vote by the largest share since 1945.

“Labour won people over on a programme for the many not the few – redistributing wealth and power, taking vital resources into public ownership, investing in every region and nation, and tackling climate change.

“The Conservative government is bungling Brexit, while Labour has set out a unifying and credible alternative plan. When millions are facing the misery of Universal Credit, rising crime, homelessness and poverty, now more than ever is the time to bring people together to build a better future for us all.”

Jonathan Ashworth said the independent MPs would help the Tories:

Sit as independents, vote as independents, fight elections as independents and then independently help the Tories stay in power

— Jonathan Ashworth (@JonAshworth) February 18, 2019

I didn’t want any colleague to leave our party especially a brilliant hardworking colleague like Luciana. But the history of splinters & break always only ever helps the Tories stay in power. But we are where we are and i’ll continue to focus on fighting for the NHS

— Jonathan Ashworth (@JonAshworth) February 18, 2019

Angela Rayner tweeted that the MPs were “wrong” to leave:

The 7 MPs who have resigned from Labour are wrong to do so. I have always campaigned to unite the party in our aim to remove the wretched Tories from power&have a Labour govt that will work for the many not the few. We must not be detracted from removing the Tories that’s our aim

— Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) February 18, 2019

Diane Abbott retweeted a call for the MPs to quit and allow by-elections to be held:

Emily Thornberry published a lengthy post on Facebook:

“Whatever tradition of the Labour Party anyone belongs to, whether we call ourselves socialists or centrists, Bennites or Blairites, there is one thing that has always united our movement, and only one objective that should matter to us all. That is keeping the Tories out of power and stopping their decades-long assault on working people and public services in our country.

“And that shared unity and objective matters now more than ever, as this current rotten Tory government continues starving our NHS, schools and police of funds, persists with the senselessness of austerity and the cruelty of Universal Credit, and most of all, risks taking us into a hard Brexit or a no-deal Brexit that will destroy jobs and investment in our country.

“That is what I believe our entire party should be focused on, and I therefore regret that some of our MPs are instead engaging in the distracting and divisive exercise we are seeing today.

“But we should not and will not be distracted or divided, and therefore my message to every friend in the Labour movement today is this: if you criticise or abuse these individuals, if you impugn their motives, and if you encourage any others to join them, you are helping them not hurting them, because you are taking your eyes off the prize and allowing our movement to be distracted and divided, which is exactly what they want.

“The only thing that anyone should do in response to the action of these MPs today is to respectfully and politely ask them a simple question: do they intend to put up candidates in Labour-Tory marginals, and split the Labour vote?

“Will they stand in Hastings, and keep Amber Rudd – the overseer of the Windrush Scandal – in office? Will they stand in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, and keep Boris Johnson – the arch-proponent of a hard Brexit – in office? And will they stand in Chingford and Woodford Green, and keep Iain Duncan Smith – the architect of Universal Credit – in office?

“Because if they do, we all know that the only effect of their actions will be to keep the Tories in power for another generation, and make a Tory Brexit more likely, not less, the one thing that everyone in our movement should be pledged to avoid.”

John Healey tweeted that he was “disappointed”:

Desperately disappointed by the decision of the seven MPs to leave Labour. This is a political dead-end that can only help the Tories and hurt those who need change most. I served in the last Labour Government and everyone who wants change must stay with Labour and fight for it.

— John Healey MP (@JohnHealey_MP) February 18, 2019

Later, Healey told Politics Live that he thought they should call by-elections. “I think if Angela [Smith] and the other six have the courage of the convictions they laid out today, they should put that to their own constituents,” he said.

Andrew Gwynne responded to the news from a different angle:

On days like this, my sleeping grandson at the train station is what I need! 💓 pic.twitter.com/y1qorHQOms

— Andrew Gwynne MP (@GwynneMP) February 18, 2019

Keir Starmer tweeted that he was “saddened”:

I’m deeply saddened to see colleagues leave the Labour Party. We must remain united in the fight for our party’s values of internationalism and equality for all. That is the only way to bring an end to this Tory government and deliver the change our country so desperately needs.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 18, 2019

Richard Burgon tweeted criticism of this “direct attack on the Labour Party”:

The ‘Independent’ Group isn’t just an attack on Jeremy’s policies For the Many, Not the Few. It’s a direct attack on the Labour Party.

Chuka’s vision for a coalition with Tories and Lib Dems is not the solution.

A radical Labour government is. We’ll keep fighting for that. ✊🌹

— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) February 18, 2019

Dawn Butlertold talkRADIO:

“I felt depressed this morning. I don’t want anyone to leave the party. I don’t want us to give a gift to the Tories. They’re responsible for the mess we’re in.”