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Ian Austin quits Labour – but doesn’t join the Independent Group specc.ie/2T2lOif
Although Austin has been unhappy for some time, his departure is significant. He is an Old Labour right stalwart - if he thinks the game is up, others could draw same conclusion
There had been an expectation Austin would join Independent Group - but he has ruled this out for timebeing. A couple of factors at play:
1. Brexit - the 11 MPs who currently make up the Independent Group are all politicians who have backed a second referendum. Austin represents a Leave seat with a tiny majority – he has supported plans to get a deal.
2. The Tories: arrival of three Conservative MPs (and their numerous punchy interviews) to the group this week has made some tribal Labour MPs think twice about joining it for timebeing/why not wait to see how it plays out
3. Chunk of Labour MPs worry this group could be a Chuka Umunna ‘vanity project’ rather than something wider. Matters haven’t been helped by Allen saying she believes Umunna is the likely leader.
While Austin doesn’t rule out joining TIG at a later date, his decision to make the jump of leaving Labour but not join new outfit for now shows that the Independent Group still has some way to go convincing MPs of its credibility.
