Hardcore Brexiteer Kate Hoey will quit as a Labour MP at the next election, she revealed today.
The divisive Northern Irish politician was facing a concerted effort to have her deselected for her Leave support, frequent rebellions against the whip and for appearing alongside Nigel Farage during the referendum campaign.
In a statement posted on Twitter the former sports minister she said she would ‘not seek re-election as a Labour candidate’ – which may lead to speculation that the 73-year-old might stand for another party in a Leave friendly seat.
Her constituency of Vauxhall in south London, which she has held for 30 years, voted overwhelmingly to Remain in 2016 and she lost a no-confidence vote last year.
It will provide a tempting target for the Remainer Liberal Democrats despite Ms Hoey’s 20,250 majority.
And among the Labour front-runners is Laura Parker, a senior figure in the hard Left pro-Corbyn Momentum group, who dismissed claims of anti-Semitism last year as ‘mud-slinging’ in an interview with the Times.
Momentum today lashed out at Ms Hoey on Twitter as a ‘No Deal-supporting, anti-gay rights fox hunting advocate who shared a platform with Nigel Farage.
‘She couldn’t be more out of step with her Vauxhall constituents, and we look forward to backing a Corbyn supporting, socialist candidate in an open selection.’ it added.
Labour MPs have been given a deadline of today to indicate whether they wish to stand at the next election, fueling speculation about efforts to deselect them.
Ms Hoey (left) was a member of Labour Leave and then joined Grassroots Out, whose leaders included then Ukip-leader Nigel Farage (right, pictured at a campaign event in 2016)
Former minister Stephen Twigg also announced he wound not contest the next election today. He has represented Labour West Derby since 2010, having been Enfield Southgate MP – succeeding Michael Portillo – between 1997 and 2005.
Former paymaster general Geoffrey Robinson, 81, who was forced to quit the government after giving Peter Mandelson an undisclosed £373,000 fine in 1998, said he would be quitting his Coventry North West seat as well, citing ill health.
Ms Hoey has represented Vauxhall in south London since 1989
Posting a picture of her party form saying she would not stand at the next election, Ms Hoey said: ‘Having stated at the 2015 General Election that I would not seek re-election in 2020 I was persuaded to fight the unexpected General Election of 2017.
‘Now that the national Labour Party has started the process for the 2022 election I have decided that after 30 years as the MP for Vauxhall I will not seek re-election as a Labour candidate.’
Last year, Ms Hoey suffered a vote of no confidence from her local party, which accused her of ignoring the views of her constituents over Brexit.
The Borough of Lambeth, which includes the Vauxhall constituency, voted 78.6 per cent to stay in the European Union in the 2016 referendum – the highest proportion of Remain voters of any area aside from Gibraltar.
Labour is in complete meltdown over anti-Semitism and Brexit.
MPs had been given a deadline of today to confirm they would stand again at the next election amid rumours Jeremy Corbyn loyalists are planning an attempted purge of those not sufficiently loyal to the party leader.
Labour MPs standing down at next election
Here are the Labour MPs who have announced they will step down at the next election:
- Kate Hoey – Vauxhall
- Ronnie Campbell – Blyth Valley
- Sir Kevin Barron – Rother Valley
- Jim Fitzpatrick – Poplar and Limehouse
- Stephen Twigg – Liverpool West Derby
- Geoffrey Robinson – Coventry North West
- Stephen Pound – Ealing North
Harriet Harman was among those who paid tribute, thanking Ms Hoey for her ‘dedication and commitment over so many years’.
‘On housing, or health care, on opportunities – you have fought for your constituents and it has been a pleasure to work with you as your neighbour. (Saying nothing about your views on Brexit!!),’ Ms Harman said.
Ms Hoey is something of an outlying figure within Labour.
She was a member of Labour Leave and then joined Grassroots Out, whose leaders included then Ukip-leader Mr Farage and ex-Labour MP George Galloway.
Her decision to line up with them prompted widespread criticism from within Labour.
She has continued to campaign for Brexit, taking part in Leave Means Leave events with Brexiteers including Tory Jacob Rees-Mog, Wetherspoons’ chairman Tim Martin and Richard Tice, both now of the Brexit Party, and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Sammy Wilson.
She followed the Labour whip in opposing Theresa May’s Brexit deal – because it was not extreme enough.
The Ulster-born politician is also a rare supporter of foxhunting who opposed the 2004 ban and became chairman of lobbying group the Countryside Alliance.
She was also a passionate supporter of the Union, leading to suggestions that the former Marxist would be more at home in the DUP.
Ms Hoey (third right) at a Leave Means Leave event in December alongside Tory Jacob Rees-Mog, Wetherspoons’ chairman Tim Martin and Richard Tice, both now of the Brexit Party, and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Sammy Wilson
Ms Hoey added: ‘I will carry on until a general election serving with the energy, honesty and integrity that I have tried to bring to public service my whole life.
‘It remains a huge privilege to serve this special part of London. I have had wonderful staff over the years some with me for over 20 years and I thank them all for their personal support.
‘I am profoundly grateful to those party members, local residents, community groups and trade unions with whom I have worked and campaigned over so many years.’
Labour peer blasts party’s ‘scandalous’ use of top law firm to warn staff not to speak out on anti-Semitism, warning that gagging orders are used by ‘the strong to stop the weak’
A Labour peer and former minister blasted the party’s ‘scandalous’ use of a top law firm to warn staff against speaking out over anti-Semitism today.
Lord Falconer, a lawyer and former justice minister, hit out at the decision to use top firm Carter Ruck to send discouraging letters to staff who had signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
It came as the BBC’s Panorama prepared to broadcast a programme on the crisis engulfing Jeremy Corbyn’s party on Wednesday night – which has infuriated its leadership.
Lord Falconer, who earlier this year turned down a plea to investigate anti-Semitism for the party, warned that NDAs were often used by ‘the strong to stop the weak’.
He told the BBC’s Today programme: ‘No organisation like the Labour Party, which used over years – quite legitimately – whistleblowers to reveal what’s wrong in society, should be using them in this way. It’s absolutely scandalous.’
Labour MPs’ backbench chief said the part had failed to address anti-Semitism in its ranks and needs to act much more quickly on the issue, warning that attempts to deselect his pregnant wife MP are ‘beneath contempt’.
John Cryer, the chairman of the parliamentary Labour party, said he believed things had improved under general secretary Jennie Formby but not all anti-Semites were being kicked out.
Fears have also been raised of efforts to de-select MPs hostile to Mr Corbyn, with all MPs asked if they wanted to stand at the next election. Three MPs, Sir Kevin Barron, Ronnie Campbell and Jim Fitzpatrick, have said they will step down.
Lord Falconer said that Labour’s use of a top law firm to act over non-disclosure agreements was ‘scandalous’
Mr Corbyn is facing a complete meltdown in the Labour Party over Brexit and anti-Semitism
John McDonnell (pictured on The Andrew Marr Show yesterday) has urged Jeremy Corbyn to ‘get on with’ making a final decision on the party’s Brexit stance
Labour is in complete meltdown over anti-Semitism and Brexit.
Mr Corbyn has been rocked by fierce and high-level infighting on both issues ahead of a nightmare week.
The Labour leader is braced for a bombshell Panorama documentary into the party’s botched handling of the anti-Semitism crisis, due to be broadcast on Wednesday.
And in a sign of panic, officials are taking legal action to stop former staff blowing the whistle.
The tactics were condemned as ‘stupid’ by deputy leader Tom Watson, while backbencher Wes Streeting warned he would use parliamentary privilege to defeat any gagging orders.
Lord Falconer said that Carter Ruck was the well-known as ‘closing down’ solicitors, which acted to block information becoming public.
He added: ‘You can’t pick and choose. If somebody within your organisation is saying something wrong is going on, you can’t use an NDA to say you can’t say anything except things that we agree with, which is what the Labour Party is saying at the moment.’
Mr Cryer last night warned there was ‘a lot of worry’ among Labour MPs about possible deselection bids in their constituencies as he took aim at activists who had targeted his wife, Ellie Reeves, the MP for Lewisham and Penge.
Ms Reeves had faced a call for a motion of no confidence despite the fact she is five months pregnant and was only elected as a Labour MP for the first time in 2017.
The push to oust Ms Reeves was eventually dropped but Mr Cryer said: ‘To do it with a woman who’s five months pregnant, who’s a relatively new MP and has clearly worked really hard – I think it’s beneath contempt.’
John Cryer, the chairman of the parliamentary Labour party, attacked hard Left activists for trying to deselect moderate Labour MPs
Meanwhile, shadow chancellor John McDonnell is heaping further pressure on Mr Corbyn by pushing him to back a second referendum in all circumstances and for Labour to campaign for Remain.
McDonnell: I’m not trying to oust Corbyn’s top aides
John McDonnell yesterday denied claims that he has been attempting to force Jeremy Corbyn to sack his two closest aides.
The Shadow Chancellor rejected reports that he and Diane Abbott have been calling for the removal of Karie Murphy, his chief of staff, and head of communications Seumas Milne.
Head of communications Seumas Milne
The pair have been accused of holding Mr Corbyn ‘captive’ and blocking him from changing the Labour party’s Brexit stance.
But Mr McDonnell told the BBC: ‘I have the confidence in them, of course I do. I’ve not told anyone to be sacked or anything like that. Jeremy and I talk about policies on a daily basis. Yes, we’ll disagree on things, but we’ll then come to an agreement.’
He added: ‘He’ll build consensus, just as he always does and then we back each other up.’ Asked if he, like shadow home secretary Miss Abbott, believed Mr Corbyn had been held ‘captive’, Mr McDonnell replied: ‘I don’t believe that’s what Diane Abbott has said… We’re going to come to a decision I think sooner rather than later with regards to our Brexit position.’
Labour is under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission over its handling of anti-Semitism allegations, something which Mr Cryer described as ‘pretty embarrassing’.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour: ‘We’ve failed to address anti-Semitism.
‘The bottom line is, are we kicking people out of the party who are anti-Semitic? In some cases yes we are, but in some cases no.
‘If you’re a racist, you shouldn’t be in the Labour Party.’
He said that in quite a lot of cases ‘you get a suspension but then the case just drags on and on, and it’s those cases where we need to act much more quickly’.
Mr Cryer also urged the party’s leadership to be more accepting of different opinions within Labour.
‘I make my views pretty clear that there’s got to be tolerance at the top of the party,’ he said.
‘I think he (Mr Corbyn) personally is (tolerant), but perhaps there are people around who take a less tolerant point of view.
‘But across the party, whether you’re elected or not elected, you’ve got to have a tolerance for people with different views.’
He added: ‘If it is the case that people are going to be driven out on the basis of differences of opinion then it’s not going to be the Labour Party that I’ve always known.’
Mr Cryer also said he believed Labour would end up supporting a second referendum.
‘I’d rather see us go for a second referendum rather than just heading out of the exit on the basis of no deal,’ he said.
‘I think we’re moving onto a territory where we’re going to end up supporting a second referendum as a point of policy and principle.’
Yesterday Mr McDonnell was forced to deny claims that he has been trying to force Mr Corbyn to sack his two closest aides over their alleged influence over the party’s Brexit policy.
It was claimed that he and Diane Abbott had told Mr Corbyn in private that he had to sack chief of staff Karie Murphy and head of communications Seumas Milne and back a second referendum or his leadership would be finished.
Mr McDonnell denied the reports, telling the BBC: ‘I’ve not told anyone to be sacked or anything like that.’
Meanwhile, Labour was last night accused of hypocrisy over its attempts to enforce gagging orders to prevent former employees speaking out on anti-Semitism.
Up to half a dozen are believed to have breached non-disclosure agreements they signed with the party so they can talk to Panorama.
Law firm Carter-Ruck – acting for Labour – has written to Sam Matthews, the party’s ex-head of disputes, warning he could face legal action for breaking his NDA by talking to the media.
A letter from the firm, leaked to The Sunday Times, warned that the party ‘cannot be expected to and will not tolerate its former employees wantonly disregarding their obligations by selectively leaking information to the media’.
Responding to the legal warning, Mr Watson said: ‘Using expensive media lawyers in attempt to silence staff members is as futile as it is stupid. It’s not the Labour way and I deplore it.’
Officials are taking action to stop whistle-blowing before the documentary airs. The tactics were branded ‘stupid’ by deputy leader Tom Watson (pictured)
Backbencher Wes Streeting warned he would use parliamentary privilege to defeat any gagging orders
Mr Streeting, the Labour MP for Ilford North, appealed for anyone silenced by the party to come forward so he could speak out on their behalf in the House of Commons.
He tweeted: ‘Labour opposes NDAs yet seems to impose them. I’m protected by parliamentary privilege. I’ll whistleblow in House of Commons for anyone who needs me to do so.
‘Sunlight is the best disinfectant. No more excuses or hiding places.’
But Mr McDonnell defended the party’s use of gagging orders and threats of legal action, telling the BBC: ‘What they’re trying to do is just remind them of their confidentiality agreements.’
Labour is believed to have written to the BBC to accuse the broadcaster of political interference over the Panorama documentary.
A spokesman for the programme said: ‘The Labour Party is criticising a programme they have not seen.’
