Frank Field quits Labour whip over anti-semitism row

Always a maverick who often failed to side with his party, the veteran MP, Frank Field has resigned the Labour parliamentary whip. He said he was no longer able to tolerate his party’s leadership which he called “a force for anti-Semitism in British politics”.

Mr Field – a Eurosceptic who has backed the Government in several Brexit votes – lost a confidence motion in his constituency party a month ago. He says he’ll now sit as an independent Labour MP.