Labour splitters expected to quit party in morning press conference

Here we go. After over a year of speculation about a Labour party split, the departure of Labour moderates appears imminent. Over the weekend, speculation mounted that this will be the week a number of Labour MPs quit the party. Now a press conference has been scheduled for this morning on the ‘future of British politics’. Labour sources are adamant that things are about to move and the expectation is that the press conference will see those MPs present announce that they are quitting the party.

Those thought to be on the verge of quitting – Chris Leslie and Chuka Umunna – are refusing to comment. Other Labour MPs thought to be considering their options include Angela Smith, Gavin Shuker and Luciana Berger. This group have grown increasingly fed up with Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to tackle anti-Semitism along with the Leader’s Office refusal to call for a second referendum. There had been a view that it was worth sticking with Corbyn in order to stop Brexit but given that this now looks unlikely, that incentive has gone.