Reaction to Ivan Lewis resigning the Labour Party whip

Labour MP Ivan Lewis has resigned the Party whip over antisemitism.

The move comes as lawyers for Campaign Against Antisemitism submittedlegal arguments to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, seeking to trigger a statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Party. Additionally, almost 50,000 people signed a petition calling on Labour MPs to act over Jeremy Corbyn’s antisemitism.

Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “It is very sad that after over 20 years as a Labour MP, Ivan Lewis felt morally compelled to resign the Labour whip because the Party that was fiercely anti-racist when he joined it has now become infested with antisemitism. It is inevitable that if a political party is led by an antisemite who lets Jew-hatred run rampant, people of conscience will leave. The indications are that others may now follow where Ivan Lewis and Frank Field have led.”