Labour pushes for by-election powers when MPs defect from parties

Labour is calling for constituents to be given greater powers to trigger by-elections if their MP defects from the political party whose banner they were elected under.

The defiant action comes in response to an eighth MP - Joan Ryan - quitting the party in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's leadership as she claimed Labour had become "infected" by antisemitism and had "aided and abetted a hard Brexit".

Under existing legislation, voters can call for a petition for the recall of their MP, but only under certain circumstances, including an MP receiving a jail sentence of a year or less.

A successful recall petition, which would trigger a by-election, must be signed by 10 per of constituents in any given area with six weeks.

But after the biggest schism in Labour since the formation of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 1980s, the party now wants to extend this legislation so that voters can start the process should an MP change the political allegiance under which they were elected.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Jon Trickett, said: "Power comes from the people but for too long the overwhelming majority have been shut out. That's why trust in politics and elites is rightly falling."

He continued: "Communities should not have to wait for up to five years to act if they feel their MP is not properly representing their interests, especially with the Fixed Term Parliament Act.

"This proposed reform has the dramatic potential to empower citizens and will be one of many measures the Labour Party is planning to consult on and announce that will change the way politics in this country is done."

It follows a surprise press conference on Monday during which the MPs Chuka Umunna, Gavin Shuker, Mike Gapes, Chris Leslie, Luciana Berger, and Ann Coffey, and Angela Smith announced their resignations from the Labour Party - but refused to cave in to demands to hold a by-election in their constituencies.

Speaking just hours after joining their ranks on Wednesday, Ms Ryan delivered a withering attack on the Labour leader, telling the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "I can no longer ask people to vote for Jeremy Corbyn to be prime minister of this country because I don't believe he is fit to be the prime minister of this country."

She said that Mr Corbyn has "introduced or allowed to happen in our party this scourge of antisemitism", adding: "It has completely infected the party and at every opportunity to deal with it he has not done so.

"We have had a whitewash report, we have had unprecedented actions of Jewish people feeling they have to demonstrate against the Labour Party in Parliament Square."