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Labour MP Rosie Duffield is quitting the get together over Sir Keir Starmer’s acceptance of free items and his “merciless” insurance policies reminiscent of reducing the winter gas allowance.
The MP for Canterbury, who was elected in 2017, has lengthy been at odds with Starmer’s management, notably on problems with intercourse and gender — however her voluntary departure lower than three months after the overall election is regarded as the swiftest in British political historical past.
On Saturday night the 53-year outdated revealed a letter accusing the Labour prime minister of “staggering and more and more outrageous” hypocrisy.
Labour has been engulfed in a row in regards to the acceptance by Starmer and different senior ministers of freebies together with tens of hundreds of kilos of clothes from Lord Alli, a Labour peer.
“The sleaze, nepotism and obvious avarice are off the size. I’m so ashamed of what you and your internal circle have performed to tarnish and humiliate our once-proud get together,” Duffield wrote.
“Somebody with far-above-average wealth selecting to maintain the Conservatives’ two-child restrict to learn funds which entrenches kids in poverty, whereas inexplicably accepting costly private items of designer fits and glasses costing greater than most of these folks can grasp — that is fully undeserving of holding the title of Labour prime minister.”
Duffield requested Starmer why he was not exhibiting “even the slightest little bit of embarrassment” about accepting free household journeys to occasions whereas reducing the winter gas allowance.
Rachel Reeves, chancellor of the exchequer, is planning to limit the allowance to outdated folks receiving pension credit score with a purpose to save about £1.4bn for the exchequer as a part of her efforts to enhance the nation’s funds.
However the transfer has been broadly criticised by charities, commerce unions and a few Labour backbench MPs. Delegates on the get together’s annual convention in Liverpool this week backed a movement calling for it to be reversed.
Duffield mentioned she hoped at some point to return to the Labour get together, which had all the time been her pure political dwelling as a single mom, union member and former educating assistant in receipt of tax credit.
However she mentioned her constituents wished an independent-minded MP who would put constituency earlier than get together and subsequently she hoped to proceed to symbolize the seat.
Duffield has beforehand spoken out about feeling unsupported by the Labour management over her views on trans points, together with her perception that people who find themselves biologically male shouldn’t enter some protected areas, reminiscent of home violence refuges.
