LABOUR leader Jeremy Corbyn has denied his party is home to “wide-scale” bullying, as another MP quit yesterday citing anti-Semitism within its ranks.
Former minister Ian Austin, who has not joined the newly formed group of ex-Labour and Conservative MPs in the Commons, said he was “ashamed” of the party, adding it had developed a “culture of extremism, anti-Semitism and intolerance” under its current leader.
He said Corbyn was not fit to be Prime Minister, and warned other Labour MPs were considering their position in the party.
But, in an interview for Sky News, Corbyn denied the problem.
“There is no place for harshness, bullying or anything else in the party. I don’t believe that it exists on a wide scale,” he said.
“Where there is bad behaviour we deal with it. Where there is a problem we deal with it.”
Austin said he could never ask his constituents to make Corbyn Prime Minister – saying he and shadow chancellor John McDonnell “cannot be trusted with our national security and would undermine our democratic institutions”.
He warned more Labour MPs may be considering their future in the party.
Asked if he would support Theresa May in a motion of no confidence, Austin said: “I don’t think we are at that point, and I hope that that isn’t the choice that faces the country in the future, but I do think that Jeremy Corbyn is completely unfit to be Prime Minister.”
Meanwhile, May has been warned she could face a mass revolt of Tory MPs in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
The Brexit Delivery Group, a team of about 100 moderate Tories, wrote to the chief whip Julian Smith to inform him of their discontent at the no-deal prospect.
In the letter, Andrew Percy and co-leader Simon Hart warned dozens of their colleagues would be prepared to vote for measures to delay the Brexit date if the “intransigence” of hardline Brexiteers meant the withdrawal agreement would again be voted down.
They urged the Government to consider a free vote so a rebellion could be avoided.
Fresh Brexit talks are scheduled for early next week as May heads towards another Commons showdown on her EU withdrawal stance. It is expected to take place on Wednesday.
May will also travel to an EU-Arab summit in Egypt tomorrow, where she is scheduled to hold a meeting with European Council president Donald Tusk.
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