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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/aug/31/frank-field-says-labour-has-threatened-to-kick-him-out-of-party
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| Frank Field says Labour has threatened to kick him out of party | Frank Field says Labour has threatened to kick him out of party |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour’s chief whip has told Frank Field he will be kicked out of the party in two weeks unless he withdraws his resignation from the party whip. | Labour’s chief whip has told Frank Field he will be kicked out of the party in two weeks unless he withdraws his resignation from the party whip. |
| The MP for Birkenhead told the Guardian he would not withdraw his resignation letter and plans to fight any attempt to remove him from his party of 60 years. | The MP for Birkenhead told the Guardian he would not withdraw his resignation letter and plans to fight any attempt to remove him from his party of 60 years. |
| The veteran MP held a meeting on Friday with Nick Brown, the party’s chief whip, in the House of Commons. The meeting was called following Field’s shock resignation on Thursday. | |
| The veteran MP, who has resigned the Labour whip, was among those who nominated Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership in 2015, calling the other candidates 'thin post-Blair gruel' and saying the leftwinger would change the terms of the debate. | The veteran MP, who has resigned the Labour whip, was among those who nominated Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership in 2015, calling the other candidates 'thin post-Blair gruel' and saying the leftwinger would change the terms of the debate. |
| Field, 79, has been MP for Birkenhead since 1979. He served as a minister under Tony Blair but is best known for his role as chair of the work and pensions select committee, taking robust positions on food banks, benefit sanctions, the gig economy and migrant workers. | Field, 79, has been MP for Birkenhead since 1979. He served as a minister under Tony Blair but is best known for his role as chair of the work and pensions select committee, taking robust positions on food banks, benefit sanctions, the gig economy and migrant workers. |
| Most recently, his Euroscepticism has been in the spotlight, often voting against the party whip on Brexit, including recent votes where pro-Brexit Labour rebels saved Theresa May’s government from devastating defeats. | Most recently, his Euroscepticism has been in the spotlight, often voting against the party whip on Brexit, including recent votes where pro-Brexit Labour rebels saved Theresa May’s government from devastating defeats. |
| Field had been facing the possible threat of deselection, and recently narrowly lost a no-confidence vote in his local party. The MP said his constituency Labour party was trying to 'misrepresent' his pro-Brexit vote. 'It would have been a betrayal of the principles I have held for my entire political life, had I voted against the legislation,' he said. | Field had been facing the possible threat of deselection, and recently narrowly lost a no-confidence vote in his local party. The MP said his constituency Labour party was trying to 'misrepresent' his pro-Brexit vote. 'It would have been a betrayal of the principles I have held for my entire political life, had I voted against the legislation,' he said. |
| After he announced he was quitting the whip, critics were quick to point to some of Field's more rightwing views; citing his comments about the need for controls on migrant workers and his admiration for Margaret Thatcher, who he said was “certainly a hero”. | After he announced he was quitting the whip, critics were quick to point to some of Field's more rightwing views; citing his comments about the need for controls on migrant workers and his admiration for Margaret Thatcher, who he said was “certainly a hero”. |
| Field has, however, been one of the Conservative government’s fiercest critics in recent years, particularly on universal credit, which he said was forcing people into desperate poverty. Earlier this year, he told MPs about a constituent who had considered suicide because of payment delays, a speech that brought a Tory MP to tears. | Field has, however, been one of the Conservative government’s fiercest critics in recent years, particularly on universal credit, which he said was forcing people into desperate poverty. Earlier this year, he told MPs about a constituent who had considered suicide because of payment delays, a speech that brought a Tory MP to tears. |
| He was one of the first MPs to speak out about the rising use of food banks, as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on hunger, saying they were fast becoming 'an institutional part of our welfare state'. | He was one of the first MPs to speak out about the rising use of food banks, as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on hunger, saying they were fast becoming 'an institutional part of our welfare state'. |
| Field has also criticised the gig economy, calling it 'bogus self-employment … peddled by those who benefit so handsomely from the gig economy, to avoid the obligations they have to their workforce'. | Field has also criticised the gig economy, calling it 'bogus self-employment … peddled by those who benefit so handsomely from the gig economy, to avoid the obligations they have to their workforce'. |
| Brown told Field that party rules say MPs cannot resign from the whip and still maintain Labour membership. | Brown told Field that party rules say MPs cannot resign from the whip and still maintain Labour membership. |
| Field said he would fight any such move in the courts if necessary. “If I am denied party membership, I will appeal that. I will get the best lawyers I can to fight my case. There are members of the Labour party in the House of Lords who do not take the whip. I want to be treated equally,” he said. He declined to name the peers who he said do not take the whip. | Field said he would fight any such move in the courts if necessary. “If I am denied party membership, I will appeal that. I will get the best lawyers I can to fight my case. There are members of the Labour party in the House of Lords who do not take the whip. I want to be treated equally,” he said. He declined to name the peers who he said do not take the whip. |
| If Field is ejected from the party, he will no longer be able to stand as an official Labour candidate. He has already said he would stand as an independent candidate at the next general election if he cannot represent Labour. | If Field is ejected from the party, he will no longer be able to stand as an official Labour candidate. He has already said he would stand as an independent candidate at the next general election if he cannot represent Labour. |
| “I am still going to represent my constituents in parliament, and I still want to represent them in the party and I still want to be their candidate at the next election. If I can’t be the Labour candidate, I will be the independent Labour candidate,” he said. | “I am still going to represent my constituents in parliament, and I still want to represent them in the party and I still want to be their candidate at the next election. If I can’t be the Labour candidate, I will be the independent Labour candidate,” he said. |
| Field also plans to maintain his role as chair of the work and pensions select committee. “I was voted in by the whole house. I do not think there is any enthusiasm for forcing me to leave that post,” he said. | Field also plans to maintain his role as chair of the work and pensions select committee. “I was voted in by the whole house. I do not think there is any enthusiasm for forcing me to leave that post,” he said. |
| Field told the Guardian that Brown had asked him to withdraw his letter of resignation from the whip. | Field told the Guardian that Brown had asked him to withdraw his letter of resignation from the whip. |
| “I said I would think about it because it is crazy to spend an hour with the chief whip and not think about what he said, but I didn’t express any enthusiasm for that.” | “I said I would think about it because it is crazy to spend an hour with the chief whip and not think about what he said, but I didn’t express any enthusiasm for that.” |
| Field said the meeting was cordial but he was left in little doubt that the party did not want him to stay a member if he did not take the whip. | Field said the meeting was cordial but he was left in little doubt that the party did not want him to stay a member if he did not take the whip. |
| “I said that I wish to remain a member of the Labour party. I had an hour with him and a good chat. I absolutely want to remain a member of the party,” he said. | “I said that I wish to remain a member of the Labour party. I had an hour with him and a good chat. I absolutely want to remain a member of the party,” he said. |
| “I will be looking for a solicitor whoever that might be. Margaret Hodge had a rather good lawyer,” he said, referring to Hodge’s recent dispute over allegations that she swore at Jeremy Corbyn – claims she denied. The case against Hodge was dropped. | “I will be looking for a solicitor whoever that might be. Margaret Hodge had a rather good lawyer,” he said, referring to Hodge’s recent dispute over allegations that she swore at Jeremy Corbyn – claims she denied. The case against Hodge was dropped. |
| Field, who recently faced a vote of no confidence from his local party over his support for Brexit, said earlier on Friday that the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s reaction to his decision – a statement thanking him for his service to the party – had been inadequate. | |
| In a letter to Brown on Thursday, Field said he was resigning the whip “with considerable sadness”, but had chosen to do so because of a lack of action to combat antisemitism in Labour, and what he said were the bullying attitudes of some members. | In a letter to Brown on Thursday, Field said he was resigning the whip “with considerable sadness”, but had chosen to do so because of a lack of action to combat antisemitism in Labour, and what he said were the bullying attitudes of some members. |
| The party’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, said his decision was a “serious loss” that “reflects both the deep divisions in the party and the sense of drift engulfing us. It is a major wake-up call. We cannot afford to lose people of such weight and stature.” | The party’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, said his decision was a “serious loss” that “reflects both the deep divisions in the party and the sense of drift engulfing us. It is a major wake-up call. We cannot afford to lose people of such weight and stature.” |
| A Labour source said “Frank met the chief whip today and they had an amicable discussion, where it was conveyed to him that resigning the whip means resigning from the party. That is the consequence of what he is doing.” | A Labour source said “Frank met the chief whip today and they had an amicable discussion, where it was conveyed to him that resigning the whip means resigning from the party. That is the consequence of what he is doing.” |
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