Summary
Thanks for following the blog today and for all of your comments. I’m going to leave you with a summary of the afternoon’s main developments.
- Theresa May is to be told by Cabinet ministers that she should step down after May’s local elections and allow a new leader to deliver the next phase of the Brexit negotiations, the Guardian understands.
- Jeremy Corbyn has said he regrets the resignation from the Labour party of Ian Austin. The Labour leader said the MP for Dudley North should be campaigning on the manifesto he was elected on, tackling, poverty, injustice and inequality.
- The Labour leader faces a battle to stop other MPs leaving the party, according to reports, which say he must back a people’s vote and take tougher action over antisemitism to prevent more quitting.
- Between 30 and 50 councillors are also quitting the party today, citing similar concerns to the MPs who have left, according to the Huffington Post.
- Margaret Hodge, who has also criticised Jeremy Corbyn over his handling of the antisemitism row, said the MPs’ departures should be “a wake-up call to the leadership”. She said she wanted to continue calling out antisemitism in the Labour movement.
Members of Theresa May’s cabinet will make it clear that they believe she must go after the forthcoming local elections, my colleague Jessica Elgot reports.
She writes:
Senior figures in government have suggested they want the prime minister to leave shortly after the first phase of the Brexit negotiations finishes – or risk being defeated in a vote of no confidence at the end of the year.
You can read the story here.
The Huffington Post is reporting the resignation of some Labour councillors, citing similar reasons as some of the MPs who quit.
I'm told there could be 35 to 50 Labour councillors resign today which, in the grand scheme of local government, is not a huge amount. https://t.co/CYo4ghX7xt
— Rachel Wearmouth (@REWearmouth) February 22, 2019
Read what you will into this tweet by Labour’s deputy leader, at the end of a tough week for the party...
Always there with a helpful phrase at the right moment https://t.co/rRqRQfTJXG
— Tom Watson (@tom_watson) February 22, 2019
Margaret Hodge, referenced by Ian Austin in the piece in which he said “the hard truth is that the party is tougher on the people complaining about antisemitism than it is on the antisemites”, has said his exit should be a wake-up call for the leadership. But she gave no indication of planning to join the nine Labour MPs who resigned this week.
Really sad to see another hardworking MP leave Labour because of antisemitism. This is another massive wake up call to the leadership. With my Labour colleagues I want to continue fighting & calling out antisemitism in the Labour movement
— Margaret Hodge (@margarethodge) February 22, 2019
Unsurprisingly, with Austin becoming the ninth MP to quit the Labour party this week, there is talk of more joining them.
Corbyn has limited time to stop a new tranche of MPs choosing to sit as an separate Labour group. He has been told to change, requiring him to back a People’s Vote, set up a credibly-run inquiry into anti-semitism, and reorganise his office. Purify or mollify. His choice.
— Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) February 22, 2019
More #Labour MPs expected to quit party over next few days/weeks, a steady trickle is what I hear, with the Deputy Leader @tom_watson apparently holding back a mass exodus and implosion
— Angus Walker (@anguswalkertalk) February 22, 2019
Jeremy Corbyn has said he is sorry Ian Austin has taken the decision to leave the Labour party but that he should be campaigning on the issues in the manifesto he was elected on, namely, tackling poverty, injustice and inequality.
Jeremy Corbyn says he 'regrets' the resignation of Dudley North MP Ian Austin, the ninth MP to quit Labour in this week
— ITV News (@itvnews) February 22, 2019
Read more: https://t.co/T7fCYDOdxx pic.twitter.com/CIgc6xYkEx
The EU’s chief negotiator has said a week of talks with Theresa May and the British negotiators has left him more concerned than every about the prospect of an accidental no-deal Brexit in five weeks.
My colleagues, Daniel Boffey, Lisa O’Carroll and Jennifer Rankin, write:
He [Barnier] told a French radio channel: “Today I am more worried than before” over the talks, adding that the UK needed to make decisions fast.
The EU official also told ambassadors privately, after the negotiations with the Brexit secretary, Stephen Barclay, and a visit by May to Brussels, that the chances of an “accidental” no-deal Brexit were high.
Siobhan McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, has spoken out about antisemitism in the and threatened to quit the party if it was not dealt with.
She has said that she has received a “wave of abuse” in the wake of this week’s resignations from the party.
Wondering if any of the Labour members behind the constant wave of abuse I’ve received this week have questioned whether they are vindicating the claims of those who’ve left – that our Party is being consumed by a culture of bullying and intimidation. It’s not a great look.
— Siobhain McDonagh MP (@Siobhain_MP) February 22, 2019
The shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, has criticised Ian Austin’s decision to leave the Labour party.
Ian Austin is an MP because he stood on Labour's manifesto For the Many, Not the Few.
— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) February 22, 2019
He’s now trying to undermine the chances of a Labour Government. That won't work.
He should do the decent and democratic thing by the voters of Dudley and let them choose in a by-election.
The Irish government has today published a wide range of emergency laws that will be enacted if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
The Omnibus Bill, which will be fast-tracked through the Oireachtas parliament in Dublin, is designed to support businesses and jobs impacted by a no-deal and secure ongoing access to essential services and products across the Irish border.
The huge suite of proposed legislation, which will only become law if the UK leaves on 29 March 29 without a deal, was published as the EU Commission confirmed it was relaxing certain state aid regulations in preparation for Brexit - a move that will give the government in Dublin more latitude to offer support to farms and other affected businesses.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said:
Our focus remains on the UK ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement, which was concluded following intensive negotiations between the UK and the EU.
However, for the last two years we have also been preparing for the possibility that the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.
We are doing all we can to avoid a no-deal scenario, but we need to be ready in case it does happen. This special law enables us to mitigate against some of the worst effects of no deal by protecting citizens’ rights, security, and facilitating extra supports for vulnerable businesses and employers.
Deputy premier Simon Coveney unveiled the legislative package at Government Buildings in Dublin on Friday morning, but said he hoped the Bill would never need to be enacted. “My only desire is to see this legislation sit on the shelf,” he said. Coveney said a no-deal Brexit would cause widespread damage:
Let me be very clear in saying a disorderly Brexit will be a lose, lose, lose - for the UK, for the EU and for Ireland.
We cannot offset all of the damage it will do, but we are doing everything we can through legislation, through preparation, through investment, through information and through support of the multiple sectors and the multiple numbers of people that will be impacted potentially by that worst-case scenario.
Lunchtime summary
- John McDonnell has said Labour must be faster in tackling antisemitism. The shadow chancellor’s remarks came as Ian Austin became the ninth MP to quit the party this week.
- Austin told his local paper that the party is “broken”. He condemned a “culture of extremism, antisemitism and intolerance” in Labour and said he did not want Jeremy Corbyn to enter Downing Street
- Austin said he had no intention of joining the Independent Group, comprised of eight other former Labour MPs and three former Conservative MPs. His Dudley North constituency voted by 71.4% to leave in the EU referendum and he has urged Labour to back Theresa May’s Brexit deal.
- The party expressed regret at Austin’s decision but said he should put himself up for re-election. The MP, who has a majority of just 22, said he would not a byelection.
- The deputy Labour leader, Tom Watson, called Austin’s decision “very sad”. He said it was “personally hard to see a close friend take a decision of this magnitude”.
Some Corbyn supporters have argued that Austin’s views meant that he was no longer credible as a member of the Labour party. He is generally viewed as having been on the right of the party. Some have taken issue with him citing racism as a reason for leaving the party when he has urged Labour to bring in tougher laws on immigration.
The Mail reported in 2014 that Austin said “the Labour leadership should embrace tough policies including a ban on benefit payments to new migrants who have paid nothing into the system, fingerprinting at the Calais border, and up-front payments by foreigners for NHS care”.
One of the main reasons Ian Austin opposed Jeremy Corbyn so passionately from the start is because he thought Corbyn's pro-migrant, pro-welfare state politics was out of sync with electoral reality. How do I know this? Because he said so publicly over and over and over again.
— Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) February 22, 2019
Ian Austin MP tells Ed Miliband to get tough on immigration https://t.co/1bAfzxEyOt One from the archives. This obvious anti-racism champion will be a loss.
— Maurice Mcleod (@mowords) February 22, 2019
'Labour too slow on antisemitism' - McDonnell
The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has said Labour have been too slow to act on antisemitism.
The nine MPs who have quit the party this week have, to varying degrees, cited the party’s handling of the antisemitism vow as one of the reasons for doing so.
In an interview with the Evening Standard published today, McDonnell said:
We’ve got to be quicker, and we’ve got to be fiercer. I think there’s been a lot of listening but not enough action. That’s the problem.
He also gave another indication that Labour is moving towards a people’s vote.
On the people’s vote, we’ve kept it on the table and we’re moving towards that.
Updated
More from the lobby briefing from the Press Association:
The prime minister will have a bilateral meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk on Sunday when both leaders will be in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for an EU-League of Arab States summit, Downing Street said.
May spoke to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez by telephone on Thursday night regarding Brexit, a Number 10 spokesman said.
PM 'determined to leave EU on 29 March'
The prime minister’s official spokeswoman says Theresa May is determined to leave the EU on 29 March, despite pressure from many Tory MPs for a delay.
Reporting from the lobby briefing, Reuters also says that May is considering no-deal tariffs carefully and a decision will be announced shortly but work is continuing to try to secure a deal.
The spokeswoman said May will have further bilateral talks with EU leaders in Egypt on Sunday and Monday.
More regret expressed at Austin’s departure, this time by the Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East:
Deeply saddened to hear that Ian Austin is leaving Labour Party. I have the upmost respect for Ian: a fantastic MP - incredibly impressive in Parliament & his constituency, a strong voice for the Black Country and a dedicated campaigner against racism & anti-semitism. https://t.co/naKxyzCXOC
— Emma Reynolds (@EmmaReynoldsMP) February 22, 2019
Austin has said he will not call a byelection, despite Labour urging him and his eight other ex-colleagues who quit the party to do so.
Ian Austin, who has quit the Labour Party this morning, tells @VictoriaLIVE he doesn't plan to call a by-election. He has a majority of just 22 votes.
— Kylie MacLellan (@kyliemaclellan) February 22, 2019
Labour leftwinger Chris Williamson, an ardent supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, has called Ian Austin “an embarrassment”.
Chris Williamson tells me Ian Austin leaving Labour
— Ross Kempsell (@rosskempsell) February 22, 2019
💥is “certainly no loss”
💥brands him “an embarrassment to the Labour Party”
💥fought election "under false pretences"
Says must resign seat for byelex pic.twitter.com/ln9U1iPuE9
Angela Smith and Mike Gapes, have joined other former Labour MPs who quit the party for the Independent Group in expressing their support for Ian Austin.
Thinking of my good friend @IanAustinMP, who I know has made a brave but painful decision to leave the Labour Party. Ian has given so much to Labour over the years, but our politics is broken and is failing to put our country first. https://t.co/mz1Wygehe7
— Angela Smith MP (@angelasmithmp) February 22, 2019
Well done. @IanAustinMP I know how hard it is to make the very difficult decision that you can no longer be a member after decades of work for the Labour Party. Politics is broken. #ChangePolitics
— Mike Gapes (@MikeGapes) February 22, 2019
Labour’s deputy leader has described Ian Austin’s decision to leave as “very sad”.
Very sad to lose another colleague from the Labour team. It’s also personally hard to see a close friend take a decision of this magnitude. https://t.co/Q2whZXcuJx
— Tom Watson (@tom_watson) February 22, 2019
Here is Ian Austin talking about his decision to leave the Labour party:
Ian Austin told the Express & Star he had not spoken to the eight former Labour MPs and three former Tory MPs who make up the Independent Group. While he may share some of his ex-colleagues’ views about the party - namely on its response to antisemitism in its ranks - he is far removed from them on Europe.
His Dudley North constituency voted by 71.4% to leave in the EU referendum, one of the highest margins in the country. Writing for the Guardian in November, he suggested that Labour should back Theresa May’s Brexit deal.
Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said Ian Austin’s decision to quit the party was “very sad”.
I have known Ian a long time, before we were MPs and he has been a good friend. It’s regrettable that he’s done this.”
But Mahmood said Labour was attempting to combat antisemitism.
Unfortunately there are those associated with the party who make comments. But the party is doing its best and will continue to have zero tolerance against antisemitism. On that basis, we should move forward, together. We are a family - I have very high regard for Ian, but this is very sad.
Ian Austin has received support from some of his fellow former Labour MPs.
I fully understand why @IanAustinMP has come to this difficult and painful decision. https://t.co/3M017BghVB
— Luciana Berger (@lucianaberger) February 22, 2019
Massive respect to @IanAustinMP for making this incredibly difficult decision - it’s painful and hard but he has stayed true to his values and what he believes to be the national interest. https://t.co/TAEnoCJwFK
— Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) February 22, 2019
Full respect for @IanAustinMP and his difficult decision to leave @UKLabour today. Politics is broken and it is so important MPs stand up for the mainstream values we share. #ChangePolitics https://t.co/uOiLerQYkl
— Chris Leslie (@ChrisLeslieMP) February 22, 2019
Labour have responded to Ian Austin quitting the party by calling for him to put himself up for re-election - the same message delivered to the other eight MPs who left earlier this week. It is worth pointing out that Austin’s majority at the 2017 election was just 22.
A Labour party spokesman said: "We regret that Ian Austin has left the Labour Party. He was elected as a Labour MP and so the democratic thing to do is to resign his seat and let the people of Dudley decide who should represent them".
— Tamara Cohen (@tamcohen) February 22, 2019
In his column for the paper, Ian Austin, an adopted child of Jewish refugees, refers to his own treatment when he was told he was being investigated after criticising the party’s new code on antisemitism. He also condemns the treatment of Luciana Berger, who he says has been “bullied” out of the party and that of Margaret Hodge, who also spoke out about antisemitism.
He says:
The hard truth is that the party is tougher on the people complaining about anti-Semitism than it is on the anti-Semites.
He is forthright in his criticism of the Labour leader, saying Jeremy Corbyn “spent his entire political career working with and supporting all sorts of extremists, and in some cases terrorists and anti-Semites”. He continues:
I always thought he was unfit to lead the Labour Party and I certainly think he is unfit to lead our country. I think Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell cannot be trusted with our national security and would undermine our democratic institutions.
They supported the IRA when they were planting bombs and murdering people in shopping centres, hotels and pubs. They back totalitarian dictatorships like Venezuela abroad and echoed the Kremlin when Putin tried to murder people here in Britain.
This is the Express and Star front page today:
BREAKING: Dudley North MP @IanAustinMP today confirmed he is quitting The Labour Party.
— Express & Star (@ExpressandStar) February 22, 2019
He has become the ninth MP to leave Jeremy Corbyn’s party this week. Read more exclusively in the @ExpressandStar and online https://t.co/0FBpjaCiAf pic.twitter.com/R7H2Ey0rG8
Austin has penned a column for the paper entitled: “I’ve become ashamed of Labour under Corbyn”
Read more on @IanAustinMP's decision in today's @ExpressandStar and online https://t.co/w4AgAu9cix pic.twitter.com/AG9oSciOoQ
— Express & Star (@ExpressandStar) February 22, 2019
Good morning, this is Haroon Siddique sitting in for Andrew Sparrow once more. I’ll be covering all the significant political developments throughout the day. The best way to get my attention is to tweet me.
Breaking news to begin with.
Ian Austin has become the ninth MP to quit the party this week, telling his local paper that the party is “broken”.
Austin, who joined the party in 1984, faced an investigation - later dropped - last year over alleged abusive behaviour, after expressing anger about the party’s handling of the antisemitism row.
In an interview with the Express & Star, he said:
I could never ask local people to make Jeremy Corbyn Prime Minister,” he said ...I am appalled at the offence and distress Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party have caused to Jewish people. It is terrible that a culture of extremism, antisemitism and intolerance is driving out good MPs and decent people who have committed their life to mainstream politics.
He said that the party had been taken over by the hard left. Austin said he had not spoken to the Independent Group, which consists of eight former Labour MPs and three former Conservative MPs.
