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General Election 2019: Voters should back Johnson - ex Labour MP General Election 2019: Voters should back Johnson - ex Labour MP
(32 minutes later)
Labour voters should support Boris Johnson in the general election, former Labour MP Ian Austin has said.Labour voters should support Boris Johnson in the general election, former Labour MP Ian Austin has said.
The former minister resigned from the party in February, accusing leader Jeremy Corbyn of failing to tackle anti-Semitism.The former minister resigned from the party in February, accusing leader Jeremy Corbyn of failing to tackle anti-Semitism.
Mr Austin, MP for Dudley North, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Mr Corbyn was "completely unfit" to be PM.Mr Austin, MP for Dudley North, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Mr Corbyn was "completely unfit" to be PM.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the comments were unsurprising as Mr Austin "now works for the Tory party".Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the comments were unsurprising as Mr Austin "now works for the Tory party".
"What else do you expect him to do," he said, "when you are employed by the Tories you speak on behalf of the Tories?""What else do you expect him to do," he said, "when you are employed by the Tories you speak on behalf of the Tories?"
In July, Mr Austin was appointed as Boris Johnson's trade envoy to Israel. In July, Mr Austin was appointed as Boris Johnson's trade envoy to Israel - an unpaid role.
Another ex-Labour MP, John Woodcock, said he would be voting Conservative at the election and urged others to do the same. Mr Woodcock has been appointed as special government envoy to tackle violent extremism.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak called Mr Austin's comments a "truly devastating indictment of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership".Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak called Mr Austin's comments a "truly devastating indictment of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership".
Speaking to the Express and Star newspaper, Mr Austin also announced he would be standing down as MP for Dudley North - a seat he held at the 2017 election with a majority of just 22.Speaking to the Express and Star newspaper, Mr Austin also announced he would be standing down as MP for Dudley North - a seat he held at the 2017 election with a majority of just 22.
He said: "I am so sorry that it has come to this, but as has always been the case, I have to do what I think is right."He said: "I am so sorry that it has come to this, but as has always been the case, I have to do what I think is right."
He added: "I must do everything I can to stop Jeremy Corbyn from getting into power."He added: "I must do everything I can to stop Jeremy Corbyn from getting into power."
BBC political correspondent Chris Mason called Mr Austin's comments "astonishing".
"We should be clear he has had a long standing run-in with Mr Corbyn," he said. "We know that he doesn't like the Labour leader but still, on day two of a general campaign, for someone who has been Labour MP for much of his time in Westminster to say 'Vote Conservative' is incredible."
Mr Austin became a Labour councillor in Dudley in his twenties, later working as a press officer for Gordon Brown.Mr Austin became a Labour councillor in Dudley in his twenties, later working as a press officer for Gordon Brown.
He was elected MP for Dudley North in 2005 and served in Mr Brown's government from 2008 to 2010.He was elected MP for Dudley North in 2005 and served in Mr Brown's government from 2008 to 2010.
Mr Austin quit the party earlier this year, blaming Mr Corbyn for "creating a culture of extremism and intolerance" and accused the Labour leadership of failing to tackle anti-Semitism in the party.Mr Austin quit the party earlier this year, blaming Mr Corbyn for "creating a culture of extremism and intolerance" and accused the Labour leadership of failing to tackle anti-Semitism in the party.
His comments came after Tom Watson announced he was stepping down as Labour's deputy leader and as an MP.His comments came after Tom Watson announced he was stepping down as Labour's deputy leader and as an MP.
He said the decision was "personal, not political" and that he would continue to campaign for the party.He said the decision was "personal, not political" and that he would continue to campaign for the party.
But Mr Austin said: "If Tom thought that Jeremy Corbyn was fit to lead our country and fit to form a government, then he would have been in that cabinet. Would he really be standing down?"But Mr Austin said: "If Tom thought that Jeremy Corbyn was fit to lead our country and fit to form a government, then he would have been in that cabinet. Would he really be standing down?"
He said Mr Watson was "appalled" by "the scandal of anti-Semitism that has poisoned the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership".He said Mr Watson was "appalled" by "the scandal of anti-Semitism that has poisoned the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership".
On Sunday, shadow chancellor John Mc Donnell said he was "so saddened" by accusations of anti-Semitism and said he wanted to "reassure" the Jewish community that Labour was "doing everything we can to eradicate anti-Semitism in the party and to educate our own members". Shadow chancellor John Mc Donnell said those who had expressed anti-Semitism accounted for "less than 0.1% of the Labour Party membership".
Asked about the Jewish Chronicle's front page - which urges non-Jewish voters not to support Labour - he said he was "sad about it" but insisted the party was doing "everything they asked of us" to tackle anti-Semitism.