Local MP “staying at heart of Labour Party” after resignation of Labour MPs

Tony Lloyd

Local Member of Parliament, Tony Lloyd, MP for Rochdale, has assured constituents he does not plan to leave the Labour party, following the resignation of seven MPs on Tuesday (18 February).

MPs Chuka Umunna (Streatham), Luciana Berger (Liverpool Wavertree), Chris Leslie (Nottingham East), Angela Smith (Penistone and Stocksbridge), Mike Gapes (Ilford South), Gavin Shuker (Luton South) and Ann Coffey (Stockport) resigned from the party, reportedly in protest at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's approach to Brexit and anti-Semitism.

Joan Ryan MP (Enfield North) also resigned from the party on Thursday morning (20 February). 

However, Mr Lloyd says he has no plans to follow suit.

Mr Lloyd said: “It is totally unacceptable that Luciana Berger faced the antisemitic attacks that she did. The people responsible should not be in the Labour Party.

“I do nevertheless regret that she and other MPs are leaving the party. Labour is still the only party which is going to change Britain in a way that includes all of our people.

“I am most certainly staying at the heart of the British Labour Party, where I’ve been a member well over 50 years.”

Liz McInnes MP for Rochdale and Heywood and Middleton did not respond to an invitation to comment.

Read more

• www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47278902
• www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/18/in-their-own-words-why-seven-mps-are-quitting-labour-independent-group
• www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47300832