Seven MPs Quit Labour Party To Protest Against Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘Brexit’ Approach, Close Ties To Anti-Semitic Groups

Seven Members of Parliament (MP) belonging to the Labour Party have tendered their resignation from the party as a protest against party leader Jeremy Corbyn's approach to Brexit and anti-Semitism, BBC reported.

The seven MPs - Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Angela Smith, Chuka Umunna, Mike Gapes and Ann Coffey, have no plans to launch a new political formation but would operate in the Parliament as Independents.

The seven MPs are of the view that Labour had been "hijacked by the machine politics of the hard left." They are also expected to publish a full statement articulating where they stand.

Luciana Berger said she had become “embarrassed and ashamed” of the Labour Party, which she said was “institutionally antisemitic”.

Chris Leslie stated that while his values haven’t changed, it would be “irresponsible” to project Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister and accused the Labour leader of a “betrayal” on Europe.

Another MP who quit the Labour party Angela Smith, cited her family history and said the values of the Labour Party now stand in contradiction to what her family had campaigned for.

Corbyn, a veteran Labour leader, who captured the party leadership position in 2015, has often faced charges of close links to anti-semitic groups across the world.

Corbyn, whose is avowedly anti-Israel, has been photographed visiting the graves of the terrorists behind the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich massacre. He was seen participating in a 2014 memorial service in Tunisia for members of the Black September terror organisation that carried out the deadly attack.

Corbyn has also been photographed holding a wreath over the grave of Atef Bseiso, the head of intelligence for the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), who helped plan the attack at the Munich Olympics.

In a statement, Corbyn said he was deeply disappointed by the action of the seven MPs and their inability to continue working with him on policies that inspired millions at the last election and saw his party increase its vote by the largest share since 1945.

"Labour won people over on a programme for the many not the few - redistributing wealth and power, taking vital resources into public ownership, investing in every region and nation, and tackling climate change.” he added.

Corbyn, a staunch critic of the European Union, has so far refused to categorically support a second Brexit vote. During the run-up to the 2016 referendum on Brexit, Labour party had campaigned to remain in the European Union.