By Ben Kerrigan-
Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of tolerating extremism and intolerance by one of his Mps who has thrown the towel in on his time with the Labour Party.
Ian Austin has become the ninth MP to quit Labour this week, in a further blow to the Labour Government.
Austin has pointed the finger at party leader Jeremy Corbyn, whom he blames for “creating a culture of extremism and intolerance”. He says Corbyn has tolerated anti-Semitism and had turned the party into a “narrow sect”. The departure adds to the huge turmoil facing the Labour Party, similar to the disruption taking place in the Conservative party. The difference is that the troubles facing the Conservative party is over Brexit, but those facing the Labour Party is over both Brexit and antisemitism
But the MP for Dudley North said he had no plans to join the new Independent Group of former Labour and Tory MPs.
Labour deputy leader Tom Watson described the decision for Watson to walk out on the party as a “serious blow”. The party called on Mr Austin to face a by-election. Austin said he has no plans to join the Independent Group of former Labour and Tory Mps.
Mr Austin told BBC West Midlands: “This is the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to take but I’ve taken it because I’ve become ashamed of the Labour Party.
“I grew up listening to my dad, who was a refugee from the Holocaust, teaching me about the evils of hatred and prejudice.
“One of the main reasons I joined the Labour Party as a teenager here in Dudley more than 35 years ago was to fight racism and I could never have believed I would be leaving the Labour party because of racism too.”
Mr Watson, who recently said he “no longer recognises” the party he was elected deputy leader of in 2015, said he was “deeply saddened” by his close friend’s decision to leave.
“I didn’t want him to go, not just because he is a friend but because Labour needs people of his experience, calibre and passion if we are to win,” he added.