Latest news with #BrianLeishman
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'People are not more important than the team': Minister backs Labour rebels' suspension
The suspension of four Labour rebels sends the "right signal" that if MPs stray too far outside they are "undermining the team" and that cannot be allowed, a senior minister told Sky News. Steve Reed, the environment secretary, told there are "ways of going about" concerns MPs may have with policies - and there are "ways of not going about that". Politics latest: Earlier this week Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff, Neil Duncan-Jordan and Rachael Maskell were suspended from Labour after voting against the government's welfare reforms. They will now sit as independent MPs. Some as "appalling" and a "terrible look", but Mr Reed strongly supported the move. The environment secretary said he understands they were suspended "not for any one particular issue, there was a pattern of behaviour". "I think it is fair that if you're part of a team, you should be required to play the team game," he said. "You can make your views known, but if you go too far outside, you're actually undermining the whole team. We can't allow that." He added: "If people think they're more important than the team, they need to think again." Read more:Labour will eliminate sewage spillages in a decadePM to address postcode lottery for only drug available for extreme pregnancy sickness Veteran Labour MP this week, pending an investigation, after defending previous comments where she said people of colour have a different experience of racism than white people, such as Jewish, Irish and travellers. It is the second time she has been suspended over the same issue, after she said the same thing last year ahead of the election, but was readmitted after apologising. Mr Reed said he is "very disappointed" in Ms Abbott but her suspension is "out of my hands". "I respect Diane, I've known Diane for many, many decades. I think it's a shame she did what she did," he added. Commenting on the suspension, Ms Abbott told Sky News: "It's obvious this Labour leadership wants me out. My comments in the interview with James Naughtie were factually correct, as any fair-minded person would accept." The clip of the interview was re-posted by Mr Leishman, one of the MPs suspended on Wednesday, who said: "Diane Abbott has fought against racism her entire life."
Daily Record
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Brian Leishman will still attend Labour conference despite suspension
EXCLUSIVE: The Alloa and Grangemouth MP said he will "still be campaigning for Scottish Labour for Holyrood" after losing the whip at Westminster. Brian Leishman has said that he will still attend Labour conference despite being suspended from the parliamentary party. The Alloa and Grangemouth MP said he will "still be campaigning for Scottish Labour for Holyrood" after losing the whip at Westminster. He was booted out of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Wednesday for voting against the government and criticising it in the media. Leishman told the Record: "The investigation is not expected to be concluded before conference. Conference is in September so we're looking into October. " I asked then about the suspension, but the couldn't answer that based on whatever investigation takes place." Asked if he will still be attending the party conference in September, Leishman replied: "Absolutely, I'll still be going to Liverpool. " I'll still be there. I'm a proud Labour Party member. " I'll be out campaigning for the fantastic candidates across my constituency for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, and for Falkirk East. " I'll still be campaigning for Scottish Labour for Holyrood." Leishman was one of four Labour MPs who were booted out last week. He has been the most vocal critic among the Scottish Labour MPs since becoming an MP last year. He has slammed the government over the Grangemouth refinery closure, the Winter Fuel Payment cuts, the failure to compensate Waspi women and the slashing of disability benefits. But some of the things he has criticised the government for are Scottish Labour policy. Leishman has since ruled out joining the SNP or former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's new party - even though Leishman joined under his leadership. He told the Record earlier this week: "What matters most to me is true Labour Party values. "True Labour Party values, the home for that is in the Labour Party. "Labour's been the only party I've ever been a member of. "I joined in 2016, it's where my political home is. I want to get the Labour whip back because I still feel that the Labour Party is the vehicle for positive change in the country. "And that means redistributing power and wealth across society and actually trying to achieve a much more equal country." When asked if this meant he had ruled out joining the Nationalists, he said: "I am committed, rock solid, to the Labour Party. "The Labour Party is my home. I'm not happy about the way that a lot of things have been done, but I'm a Labour Party member and I'm proud to be one." When asked if he had considered joining Corbyn's new party, he said: "Your question about Jeremy and Zarah's party, it's the same answer."
Powys County Times
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Powys MP 'incredibly concerned' by Labour MPs suspension
Montgomeryshire MP Steve Witherden has said he is 'incredibly concerned' after several Labour MPs were suspended from the party. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer removed the whip from four MPs, and Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr MP Steve Witherden has now said he is 'incredibly concerned' over the issue. On July 16 it was revealed that Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff and Rachael Maskell, were suspended while three other Labour MPs - Rosena Allin Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin - were stripped of their trade envoy roles. The move comes after all four of the suspended MPs and the former trade envoys voted against the government's welfare reform bill earlier in July, among 47 Labour MPs who rebelled against the government's proposed cuts to welfare. Mr Witherden was also among the Labour MPs who rallied against the proposed cuts and criticised the grounds for suspending the four Labour MPs, warning they were responding to 'cuts that would have impoverished many people'. He said: "I am incredibly concerned at the treatment of many of my Labour colleagues – good friends amongst them – who have been suspended from the party or stripped of their roles as trade envoys over the past few days. "The grounds for punishment seem to be standing up for constituents, voting against cuts that would have impoverished many disabled people, and fighting for marginalised people in the communities they represent. "When I was elected a year ago, I vowed to put my constituents first and speak out when required. It now seems that doing so can be a punishable offence. These principled MPs have my full support." The four suspended MPs had also rebelled against the government in votes on other issues and pieces of legislation, including the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the Public Authorities Bill. Shortly after the MPs were suspended, Mr Witherden retweeted a post from Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, on his suspension from the party. The post contained statements from Clackmannanshire and Dunblane constituency Labour Party and Falkirk East constituency Labour Party expressing support for Mr Leishman, with Falkirk East saying he 'has the full support and backing of our members'. In the post Mr Leishman said: 'Thank you to both of my Constituency Labour Party's and the wonderful members in them. Your support and solidarity shows the very best of our movement.'
New Statesman
18-07-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
Will Starmer prevail in his war on 'knobheadery'?
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 17: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks at a civil society summit on July 17, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Frank Augstein -) The removal of the whip from these 4 MPs is abold, or brave, move from Prime minister. Very brave indeed at a time when the Labour party is losing votes to the left more than to the right; at a time when comrade Jeremy is thinking about his new party. And looking at that, you've got to be very, very careful about the left now to defend the government on this. When government sources accused these MPs of 'persistent knobheadery' the persistent bit of it certainly has some validity. I was discussing it all with Brian Leishman, who's a very vocal critic of Keir Starmer, and he said he thought he had rebelled against the government on serious issues at least 12 times. Now, that's a lot. And there comes a point – and it's not just walking through the wrong voting lobby, it's when MPs are criticising Starmer and the cabinet as betraying this and betraying that, in public, on the media, again and again and again. There comes a point when they are not behaving like Labour MPs and therefore taking the whip away from them is not that unreasonable. I do think there's a slight element of cowardice in this, in that they haven't gone for the most powerful and widely liked critics. They haven't gone for Meg Hillier who is so important on the benefits revolt. Apart from Diane Abbott, they haven't gone for the people who'd cause them real trouble in the media. These are mostly people less well known, and in some cases not particularly popular within their own groups. The timing is odd. And we'll still see whether we've got a reshuffle to come. But these are people who are going to go back and they're going to bond with their constituency parties over the summer. And I don't think many of them are going to come back and promise the whips that they're going to stop rebelling. I asked Brian Leishman, are you going to stop? If the Chief whips say, 'Brian, all you need to do is promise that you'll stop rebelling against this government'? He said, 'no, I couldn't possibly say that.' Andrew Marr was speaking earlier on the New Statesman podcast. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
The National
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Labour MPs back Diane Abbott after second suspension
The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP said in an interview that she had no regrets about comments she made on racism which led to her being suspended by the party in 2023. Abbott had written a letter to the Observer comparing racism experienced by people of colour with that seen by other groups. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Reflections programme, she said she did not look back on the incident with regret. The party confirmed on Thursday evening she has been administratively suspended pending an investigation. READ MORE: Anas Sarwar silent as Brian Leishman thrown out of Labour Labour MPs have since spoken out in solidarity with Abbott, with several claiming her comments have been taken out of context. Many journalists including Owen Jones and Sangita Myska have additionally called out the media coverage of Abbott's comments, with Myska saying Abbott "clearly condemns antisemitism" in the interview. Richard Burgon (below), who was suspended from Labour himself for a period after voting for the two-child cap to be dropped, tweeted: "As ever my total solidarity with Diane Abbott, a truly historic figure in the fight against racism in Britain and someone I am so proud to have as a friend. "People should watch the clip of what she actually said, rather than what some are claiming she said." Several MPs have reshared the clip of the interview pointing out her "informed contribution" and stressing she has a right to talk about her lived experience. Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald said on Twitter/X that he hoped there would be an "early resolution" to her suspension. He posted: "Diane has been subjected to racism for decades and has a proud history of combatting it in all its forms. "Listen here to her informed contribution on racism in her Radio 4 interview. "I hope there can be calm consideration and an early resolution." READ MORE: Independence campaigners react to new John Swinney referendum plan Scottish MP Brian Leishman, who was suspended by Labour earlier this week alongside three of his colleagues, said Abbott "had fought against racism her entire life" as he shared her interview on social media. Bell Ribero-Addy, Labour MP for Clapham, encouraged people to listen to the entire clip of Abbott's interview where she condemns all forms of racism. She tweeted: "Solidarity with @HackneyAbbott "Before condemning her based on headlines, I would listen to her clip and note she discussed the different forms that racism takes and condemned all forms of racism." Asked if she looked back on her comments about racism with regret, Abbott said: "No, not at all. "Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street and you don't know. "You don't know unless you stop to speak to them or you're in a meeting with them. But if you see a black person walking down the street you see straight away that they're black. They are different types of racism." She went on to say she would "of course" condemn antisemitism, adding she gets "weary of people trying to pin the antisemitic label on me" as she had spent "a lifetime fighting racism of all kinds". Jones said on Twitter there was "nothing wrong" with what Abbott said. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with anything Diane Abbott says here," he posted. "Labour is saying that black people are forbidden from describing their lived experience. "The same Labour whose leader does speeches about migrants which sound ripped off from Enoch Powell." Abbott apologised for any anguished caused by the remarks which drew criticism from Jewish and Travellers groups. Entering Parliament in 1987, Abbott is the longest-serving female MP in the Commons – which earns her the title of mother of the house.
