Labour MP Ian Austin has announced on Friday that he has quit the Labour Party, Austin blamed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for “creating a culture of extremism and intolerance.”
Austin the Dudley North MP said he has no plans to join the newly formed Independent Group.
A spokesman for Labour expressed “regret” over Austin’s decision to quit the party.
The spokesman added, “He was elected as a Labour MP and so the democratic thing is to resign his seat and let the people of Dudley decide who should represent them.”
Austin told BBC West Midlands that his “work for the people in this community is going to carry on as it always has.”
“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.”
Chuka Umunna said on Twitter, “massive respect” adding, “It’s painful and hard but he has stayed true to his values and what he believes to be the national interest.”
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