British politics continues on the straight and narrow
Seven MPs have quit the Labour party.
‘The Independent Group’ cited Jeremy Corbyn’s approach to Brexit, anti-Semitism and “hard-left” policies as factors in their decision to quit.
And while that was being announced a microphone overheard someone swearing about the state of British politics and, more broadly, the country.
Members of the newly formed Independent group are: Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker and Ann Coffey.
The group are not yet forming a new political party but will sit together in parliament.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday morning, Berger said: “This morning we have all now resigned from the Labour Party. This has been a very difficult, painful, but necessary decision.
“We represent different parts of the country, we are of different backgrounds, we were born of different generations, but we all share the same values.
“From today, we will all sit in Parliament as a new independent group of MPs.”
Afterwards the BBC’s live coverage picked up, as Luciana Berger began to take questions, someone muttering the words: “Not going to lie, between this and Brexit we’re actually fucked.
“It’s going to be so divided, the Conservatives are going to win.”
A hot mic picking up what the rest of the watching country was probably thinking.
A BBC microphone: "Between this and Brexit we are actually fucked… the Conservatives are going to win" pic.twitter.com/6LxUeGsjGZ
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) February 18, 2019
Responding to the departure of seven of his colleagues, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was “disappointed” that the MPs had chosen to quit his party.
He said: “I am disappointed that these MPs have felt unable to continue to work together for the Labour policies that inspired millions at the last election and saw us increase our vote by the largest share since 1945.”
