Frank Field resigns Labour whip, saying Jeremy Corbyn has become 'force for antisemitism in British politics'

Veteran MP says Britain fought Second World War to 'banish' type of views voiced by Labour leadership

A senior Labour MP has quit the party and accused Jeremy Corbyn of being “a force for antisemitism in British politics”.

Frank Field, who has represented Birkenhead since 1979, said he was resigning the Labour whip after 39 years over what he described as the current perception of Labour as a “racist party”.

MPs said the resignation – the third by a Labour MP in less than two months – 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 antisemitism.

In an explosive letter to Labour’s chief whip, Nick Brown, Mr Field said Britain had fought the Second World War to “banish” the type of views expressed by Mr Corbyn, and suggested the Labour leader had been antisemitic in the past.

The MP said he was also quitting because of the “culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation” in the party.

He said he would sit as an independent MP and seek re-election at the next election as an independent candidate, although he said he could rejoin Labour if the party changes.

Mr Field, who chairs the Commons Work and Pensions Committee, nominated Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2015, although he is not a supporter of the left-winger.

He said he was resigning the Labour whip “with considerable sadness” and referred to a video that emerged last week in which Mr Corbyn claimed British Zionists “do not understand British irony”.

In his letter outlining the reasons for his decision, Mr Field said: “The first centres on the latest example of Labour’s leadership becoming a force for antisemitism in British politics. The latest example, from last week, comes after a series of attempts by Jeremy to deny that past statements and actions by him were antisemitic.”

“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. The leadership is doing nothing substantive to address this erosion of our core values.

“It saddens me to say that we are increasingly seen as a racist party. This issue alone compels me to resign the whip.”

Mr Field said a “culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation” within Labour was also behind his decision to resign. He accused the party of failing to act on “numerous complaints about the thuggish conduct of some members” and suggested this “serves to legitimise appalling levels of bullying and intimidation of lifelong Labour members”.

One of a handful of Eurosceptic Labour MPs, who has voted with the government in key Brexit votes, Mr Field has come under mounting pressure from activists in his constituency who are trying to oust him. Last month he faced a vote of no confidence from his local party.

Mr Field said he would continue in parliament as an “independent Labour member”, raising the prospect of a new parliamentary grouping consisting of Labour opponents of Mr Corbyn.

Two other former Labour MPs, John Woodcock and Jared O’Mara, have already quit the party in recent weeks and around a dozen more are believed to be considering following suit.

Mr Field’s resignation is likely to pile pressure on other MPs to join an “Independent Labour” grouping.

Wes Streeting, the Ilford North MP, told The Independent: “Antisemitism and the toxic political culture in the Labour Party are issues that need to be immediately addressed by the Labour leadership if they’re to stop this becoming a full-scale existential crisis of the Labour Party.

“I’ve made very clear that I’m not about to leave the Labour Party because of these people, but I’m afraid Frank Field isn’t the first Labour MP to quit and at this rate he won’t be the last.

“It would be an absolute tragedy if the Labour Party were to split, but we should be in no doubt that this is the biggest crisis facing the party since 1981.”

Mr Field said he would remain a Labour member, although it is understood he could have his membership revoked after resigning the whip. The MP will hold talks with Mr Brown, the chief whip, on Friday.

His resignation comes days before a crunch meeting of Labour’s ruling executive at which the party leadership will decide whether to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which has been at the heart of the internal row in recent months.

Labour MPs said others were likely to follow Mr Field in resigning the whip.

One said: “Frank is a maverick and a lone ranger but there are definitely other MPs in the same mindset as him. He won’t be the last.”

Another told The Independent that Mr Field had “laid down a challenge” and would be unable to seek re-election as a Labour MP if Mr Corbyn were still leader.

Around a dozen Labour MPs were reported to be ready to quit the party had it continued a disciplinary inquiry into Dame Margaret Hodge, the Jewish MP involved in a furious confrontation with Mr Corbyn over antisemitism in the party.

However, MPs suggested there were no organised plans for a mass walkout. One predicted the coming weeks would be “a period of chaos rather than co-ordinated damage”.

Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, said Mr Field’s resignation should be a “wakeup call”.

He said: “This is a serious loss to the party and I deeply regret Frank’s decision. It reflects both the deep divisions in the party and the sense of drift engulfing us.

“It is a major wakeup call. We cannot afford to lose people of such weight and stature.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Jeremy Corbyn thanks Frank Field for his service to the Labour Party.”

Labour MPs have demanded the party adopt the full IHRA definition and are likely to step up their opposition to Mr Corbyn if the leadership refuses.

A spokesperson for the Labour Against Antisemitism group said: “The resignation of the Labour whip by Frank Field MP is a further sign that Jeremy Corbyn is failing to get to grips with an antisemitism crisis that has raged across the summer and engulfed his party.

“At a time when Labour should be attacking Theresa May’s appalling government and fighting against a hard Brexit, we are instead seeing a senior Labour figure clash with Mr Corbyn over his handling of a crisis almost entirely of the leader’s own making.”

Frank Field’s resignation letter in full:

Dear Nick

I am writing with considerable sadness to inform you of my intention to sit as an independent Labour member of parliament. I am resigning the whip for two principal reasons.

The first centres on the latest example of Labour’s leadership becoming a force for antisemitism in British politics. The latest example, from last week, comes after a series of attempts by Jeremy to deny that past statements and actions by him were antisemitic. 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. The leadership is doing nothing substantive to address this erosion of our core values. It saddens me to say that we are increasingly seen as a racist party. This issue alone compels me to resign the whip.

The second reason is that a culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation now reigns in too many parts of the party nationally and is sadly manifest within my own constituency Labour party (CLP) in Birkenhead. This is, I fear, just one example of a phenomenon that has tightened its grip on CLPs across the country and is being driven, in part, by members who in previous years would never have been able to claim Labour Party membership.

My original submission to the party on a specific bullying issue goes back 18 months. Many submissions have since come from me as well as from loyal Party members. No decisive action has been taken. At best, the party’s failure to act on these numerous complaints about the thuggish conduct of some members demonstrates a wilful denial. At worst, it serves to legitimise appalling levels of bullying and intimidation of lifelong Labour supporters.

You know that I wrote to the Labour Party nine months ago about the atrocious behaviour of the then councillor Louise Reecejones. That Ms Reecejones should not be a member of the party, let alone represent us in public positions, has been underscored by decisions taken by Wirral Council.

As you know, she was found guilty of using her position as a councillor to intimidate members of the public. She has refused to apologise properly for her behaviour, and for breaching the council’s code of conduct, even though one of those on the receiving end of her attack has only now a precarious hold on their livelihood.

The charge sheet against this individual’s suitability ever to hold office, let alone represent the Labour Party, has been detailed to you in separate correspondence. While she was withdrawn as a council candidate in Wallasey, she has still been able to join the party’s shortlist for another seat and continues to hold an official position within the local party.

I intend to continue to represent Birkenhead in Westminster, as I have had the honour to do so for almost 40 years, and I will continue to do so as an independent Labour member. I shall of course remain a party member as I have been since 1960. The values I have espoused during this time will be same that will continue to govern my conduct and I also intend, providence willing, to represent those views when the next election is called.

Few events would give me greater pleasure than to apply to the parliamentary Labour Party for the whip. But great changes in the leadership’s stance on the issues outlined in this letter will need to take place before I will be able to do so.

Best wishes

Frank Field