Independent group: Labour MPs fear more will quit as emotions run high at party meeting

John McDonnell and Emily Thornberry attend heated PLP gathering

Luciana Berger announces Labour MPs quitting to form Independent Group

Emotions ran high at the Parliamentary Labour Party's weekly meeting as MPs reeled from the resignation of seven of their colleagues.

Ian Austin - a prominent critic of Jeremy Corbyn - told journalists gathered outside that he believed more people are considering taking the same course of action as those who splintered from the party on Monday morning at a surprise press conference.

Another politician described the meeting as a "complete and utter waste of time".

Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Mike Gapes, Ann Coffey, Angela Smith and Chuka Umunna have all resigned the whip, in what is being seen as the most significant split in British politics since the breakaway of the Social Democratic Party in the 1980s.

The parliamentarians will now sit as an “Independent Group” as they appeal to MPs from all parties to “leave the old tribal politics behind".

During the party meeting MPs Ruth Smeeth and Stella Creasy both said they would remain in the organisation, but Ms Smeeth was said to be visibly upset as she addressed colleagues during a short speech.

Some of Labour's top team attended the meeting including the shadow chancellor John McDonnell and the shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry.

The Labour leader himself was not present at the event as he was attending a funeral outside of London, a source told The Independent.

Tom Watson earlier warned Jeremy Corbyn that more Labour MPs will quit the party unless he agrees to changes.

Labour’s deputy leader spoke out after seven MPs announced their immediate resignations from the party, hitting out at Mr Corbyn’s leadership and policies on Brexit and antisemitism.

Ms Berger said in a speech on Monday that Labour had become “institutionally antisemitic” and added: ”I am leaving behind a culture of bullying, bigotry and intimidation.”

There were some early signs on Monday evening that The Independent Group might attract support from disenfranchised Conservatives to the new centre-ground anti-Brexit grouping in the chamber.

If you would like to see how the day's events unfolded live please see what was our live coverage below:

[18 February 2019 08:49 · Shehab.Khan]

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA union, urged Labour MPs to stick with the party.

I'd urge anyone in our party thinking of bolting not to do so," he said.

Brexit or any other issue isn't an excuse for breaking away. Labour is the only show in town for creating a fairer Britain. Our voters need our MPs to be made of sterner stuff.

The Tories, not Jeremy, heaped the calamity that is Brexit on our country and on our neighbours."

[18 February 2019 08:53 · Benjamin Kentish]

Labour MP Paul Flynn has died at the age of 84, after a long illness

[18 February 2019 09:01 · Shehab.Khan]

Labour's MP for Hove, Peter Kyle, who has been a regular critic of the direction Mr Corbyn is taking the party, said he would not be among those making announcements about their future but  rejected the idea of forcing MPs to sign a loyalty pledge of the kind currently being circulated by the pro-Corbyn Momentum group.

He told Today: "I would never sign a pledge of loyalty. I think leadership should be compelling not compulsive. I've worked with great leaders in the past and I've been drawn to them. That's the point of leadership."

[18 February 2019 09:15 · Benjamin Kentish]

Arriving in Brussels for talks with EU foreign ministers, Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, has called for "trust and vision" on both sides, insisting "there is a way through" the impasse on Brexit.

He said it was a "critical period" and "the message I am coming with is a very simple one, which is there is a way through, we know how we can get a majority in Parliament".

[18 February 2019 09:34 · Benjamin Kentish]

Theresa May should launch an independent inquiry into "foreign influence and manipulation" in the 2016 Brexit vote, a committee of MPs has said

[18 February 2019 09:53 · Benjamin Kentish]

Jeremy Corbyn refused to comment on reports of a Labour split when leaving his house this morning

[18 February 2019 09:58 · Benjamin Kentish]

That press conference with potential Labour "splitters" is coming up any minute. There are eight seats laid out for the announcement...

[18 February 2019 10:11 · Benjamin Kentish]

NEW: The branding on the podium at the Labour MPs' press conference reveals they are now referring to themselves as "The Independent Group" 

[18 February 2019 10:13 · Benjamin Kentish]

The Labour MPs have entered the room. 

Luciana Berger, Liverpool Wavertree MP, is speaking. She says the MPs have made  a "painful but necessary" decision. 

"From today, we will all sit in parliament as a new, independent group of MPs," she says. 

[18 February 2019 10:16 · Benjamin Kentish]

Luciana Berger says her values have not changed, but that they have been "consistently undermined and attacked" as the current Labour Party refuses to put the national interest before party interest.

She says Labour is "institutionally antisemitic" and that the party leadership has "wilfully and repeatedly failed to address hatred against Jewish people in its ranks".

She is "leaving behind a culture of bullying, bigotry and intimidation", she adds.