JEREMY Corbyn has been urged to sack Paul Sweeney after he said MPs who quit the party to form the Independent Group were part of a “necessary cleansing” of moderates.
The Glasgow North East MP was yesterday forced to apologise after he described former colleagues such as Chuka Umunna and Chris Leslie as “self-centred careerists”.
According to the Morning Star, he said Leslie was “aloof and arrogant,” adding: “The venom and the vitriol with which he addressed our front bench was a disgrace.” And he said: “There’s a necessary cleansing that has to happen in the margins.”
Sweeney had to apologise yesterday, saying: “This was a clumsy choice of words, I meant no offence and apologise for any offence inadvertently caused on my part.”
Umunna and Leslie were among eight Labour MPs who resigned from the party earlier this month, claiming they were unhappy with Corbyn’s handling of Brexit and anti-Semitism. They were joined in the new group by Tory Remainer MPs Heidi Allen, Sarah Wollaston and Anna Soubry.
Speaking at a launch of the Tribune magazine in Glasgow last Friday, Sweeney took aim at the Labour Independent Group members, except for Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger, who he said had faced unacceptable bullying.
A Labour MP told the PoliticsHome website: “Jeremy Corbyn has an opportunity here to show that he is serious about dealing with antisemitism and bullying in the Labour party by sacking Sweeney from his shadow ministerial role and stripping him of the Labour whip Anything less than that will be viewed as more prevarication on this issue.”
Leslie told PoliticsHome: “I’m not going to get into personal insults from Paul Sweeney who has never spoken to me.
“I left because I could no longer ignore my severe concerns over the Labour party’s position on national security and handling of Brexit and of course, antisemitism. I am happy with my decision and I’m glad I no longer have to put up with this sort of thing any more.”
Ian Austin – a former Labour MP who quit the party in protest at the leadership but did not join the Independent Group – hit back at Sweeney’s remarks. “Let’s think about this: [Paul Sweeney] thinks the party is cleaner because people appalled about racism have left,” he said on Twitter. “I’m wondering why anyone would want to be on the front bench helping Jeremy Corbyn in the first place.”
None of Scotland’s seven Labour MPs joined the group – though when it was launched last month, Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray suggested it was a warning to the party leadership to “listen and learn” in a bid to keep the party together.
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