Labour MP resigns after Jeremy Corbyn tells party they must trigger Brexit
Jeremy Corbyn faces the threat of more frontbench resignations after ordering his MPs to vote to trigger Brexit proceedings.
Friday 27 January 2017 09:36, UK
Labour front bench MP Tulip Siddiq has resigned after Jeremy Corbyn ordered his party not to "block" the bill to trigger Article 50 and start Britain's exit from the EU.
The shadow early years minister, who represents the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency in north London, had said on Thursday she would be willing to resign if a three-line whip was imposed on the Article 50 decision.
In her resignation letter, she said she would be better able to fight against a "hard Brexit" from the backbenches and that she had to represent the views of her constituents, who voted overwhelmingly to Remain.
She wrote: "I do not support the triggering of Article 50 and cannot reconcile myself to the frontbench position.
"I have always been clear - I do not represent Westminster in Hampstead and Kilburn, I represent Hampstead and Kilburn in Westminster.
"I feel that the most effective place for me to counter Theresa May's hard Brexit is from the backbenches."
Mrs Siddiq added that leaving the EU presented "enormous uncertainty for my constituents", including guarantees on residential rights and access to the single market.
Mr Corbyn faces a fresh split within his party over the
A number of other frontbench MPs are understood to have threatened to resign over the issue, saying they will step down so they can properly represent constituents who voted to remain part of the EU.
The order came after the Government set out a tight timetable, forcing the bill through the House of Commons within three weeks and giving MPs just three days to debate the issue. The vote is scheduled to take place on 8 February.
Mr Corbyn said: "Labour is in the most unique position of having MPs representing constituencies in both directions, and very strongly in both directions.
"I say to everyone, unite around the important issues of jobs, security, economy, rights, justice - those issues - and we will frame that relationship with Europe in the future outside the EU but in concert with friends, whether those countries are outside or inside the EU.
"That's the message we're putting out and I am asking all our MPs not to block Article 50 and make sure it goes through next week."
Shadow business secretary Clive Lewis was among those who had been prepared to vote against Article 50, but has since said he will "respect the result of the referendum".
Shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner told Sky News: "I did not want to leave the European Union and my party didn't want to leave the European Union but, above all, we're a democratic socialist party and that means we must respect the democratic will of the people."
Mr Gardiner said that he had "tremendous sympathy" for MPs whose electorates had clearly voted to remain in the EU.
But he added: "I think all of us when we cast our votes in an election do so in the belief that if we're on the winning side of the election, our votes will be respected and that means that if we're on the losing side of that vote we also have to respect the way in which the democratic accountability turns out."
Sky's Chief Political Correspondent Jon Craig said: "Normally when you're talking about Europe it's the Tories who are split, this time it's Labour.
"Labour very, very badly split, but so far only one resignation from the frontbench."
Around 60 Labour MPs - mostly representing constituencies that voted to remain in the EU - are understood to be threatening to vote against the Article 50 process.
Labour MPs have accused the Government of attempting to "muzzle" the House of Commons by rushing the bill through in less than two weeks, giving them just three days of debate.
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