Frank Field has become the first Labour MP to quit the party over anti-Semitism. He resigned the whip – blaming a ‘culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation’ in local parties. In a letter to the Chief Whip, Field said the leadership was ‘becoming a force for anti-Semitism in British politics’:
‘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 that we are increasingly seen as a racist party.’
Although he cites anti-Semitism as the trigger, Field was facing deselection threats from his local party over his Brexit stance. He was one of the Labour Brexit rebels to vote with the government on the crunch customs union amendment before recess.
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