Corbyn: I regret Austin's decision, but he should have stayed to fight
Jeremy Corbyn said he regrets the resignation of Ian Austin, who became the ninth MP in a week to quit the Labour Party.
Mr Austin launched a scathing attack on the the Labour leader when he announced he was quitting Labour this morning, accusing him of presiding over a "culture of extremism, anti-Semitism and intolerance" that had "broken" the party.
The Dudley North MPs decision was met with a wave of support from moderate Labour MPs after it was revealed in the Express & Star, with deputy leader Tom Watson describing it as "a serious blow".
Mr Corbyn, who has been frequently criticised by Mr Austin since he became leader in 2015, said: "I regret his resignation. I'm sorry he has decided to take that course of action.
"He was elected MP in the General Election of 2017 on a manifesto that pledged to deal with poverty, injustice and equality in Britain.
"That's why he was elected and that's why I was elected, and I think we should be campaigning on those issues."
Mr Austin said that he currently has no plans to join the Independent Group comprising of eight former Labour MPs and three Tory defectors.
He also said he would not be bowing to Labour Party demands and resigning from his seat to fight a by-election.
Mr Corbyn is facing a battle to hold his party together as divisions between moderate and hard left MPs came to the fore.
