The Guardian reports:

Ian Austin has become the ninth MP to quit the Labour party this week, although he told his local newspaper he had no plans to join the Independent Group (TIG), founded earlier this week by some former colleagues and Tory defectors.

The MP for Dudley North in the West Midlands has been disaffected with the party leadership for a couple of years and told the Express & Star newspaper there was a “culture of extremism, antisemitism and intolerance” in Labour.

He criticised Jeremy Corbyn and said he did not want the Labour leader to enter Downing Street, saying: “I always tell them the truth and I could never ask local people to make Jeremy Corbyn prime minister.” [Continue reading…]

Earlier this month, BBC News reported:

The Labour Party has received 673 complaints in 10 months alleging acts of anti-Semitism by its members.

A letter from the party’s general secretary, Jennie Formby, revealed the figures after she was pushed by MPs for specific details.

She said 96 members were immediately suspended from the party for their conduct between April 2018 and January 2019, and 12 were expelled.

But in a letter, a group of MPs said there was still a lack of information. [Continue reading…]