Express & Star comment: Breakaway worrying for politics
The decision of seven Labour MPs to quit their party paints a deeply worrying picture of the state of modern day British politics.
With just weeks to go until we leave the EU, the 'gang of seven' feel so far removed from Jeremy Corbyn's Labour that they clearly believe they are better suited to serving as independents.
Their stated reasons for quitting should shame the Labour party.
When a talented MP such as Luciana Berger says she was "embarrassed and ashamed" to be a member of an "institutionally anti-Semitic" party, then the likes of Mr Corbyn and John McDonnell really should sit up and take note.
Instead, the reaction from Labour's leadership has been exactly what we have come to expect since Mr Corbyn took over in September 2015.
There has been no forensic analysis of why this group of MPs felt pushed into taking such drastic action, no examination of the deep split that has engulfed the party for the last three years, and (of course) absolutely no hint of an apology.
Mr Corbyn is simply "disappointed" in his former MPs for jumping ship.
Labour has long been a broad church, a somewhat uneasy coalition between socialists and social democrats. Different views have always been tolerated, accepted and debated.
Since Mr Corbyn's took over at the top, these virtues have been replaced with division, aggression and hatred.
In the West Midlands we are fortunate enough to have some excellent Labour MPs.
The likes of Ian Austin, Emma Reynolds and Pat McFadden are Labour through and through, and devote their time to battling for their constituents both at home and in Westminster.
However, the bullies among Labour's hard left treat them with utter contempt.
Mr Corbyn genuinely believes that his party is in position to oust the Tories from power at the next General Election, yet despite the many failings of Theresa May's quarrelsome bunch, Labour has managed to fall behind in the opinion polls.
If you examine, Mrs May's shambolic record in Number 10, you would think such a situation would be impossible.
A disastrous snap election left her administration propped up by the DUP. Brexit has split the party – possibly irrevocably. And numerous MPs have shamelessly used our departure from the EU to attempt to further their own leadership ambitions.
Universal credit, Windrush, prisons... the list of scandals and failed policies would have brought many previous governments down.
Labour should be 20 points ahead, not trailing behind.
Whatever their individual reasons for quitting Labour, the seven MPs are right about one thing.
The British public is sick of the current state of politics in this country.
People have lost faith in the system, and many no longer believe that any of the current crop of political parties are fit to lead.
In the wake of the EU referendum result, it was clear that the UK would need strong leadership and, just as importantly, strong opposition to guide us through Brexit.
Instead we have a laughably weak and splintered Conservative government, and a Labour party that is run like a protest group at a sixth form college.
Considering the amount of political upheaval in this country, it is hard to think how a sense of normality will ever return.
Depressingly, it is likely that things may have to get even worse before they get better.
