Labour MP Rosie Duffield has resigned the Labour whip, citing her disillusionment with Sir Keir Starmer’s “cruel policies” and ongoing “sleaze scandals.”
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Canterbury MP criticised Starmer for accepting gifts worth £107,000 since 2019, including expensive clothing from Labour peer Lord Alli.
Duffield expressed outrage over the Prime Minister’s decision to retain the two-child benefit cap and cut Winter Fuel Payments, arguing that such policies entrench poverty while Starmer and his associates benefit from lavish gifts.
In her blistering resignation letter, Duffield accused Starmer of betraying Labour values and the trust of voters.
She highlighted what she called the hypocrisy of Starmer’s actions, comparing them to the MP expenses scandal, and said his decisions were undeserving of a Labour Prime Minister.
Duffield, who had been at odds with Labour over several issues including trans rights, will now sit as an independent.
She hinted that other prominent Labour figures are similarly disillusioned, stating that “household names” within the party are frustrated with the current leadership.
Duffield’s resignation comes amid a drop in Labour’s post-election support, with recent polling showing the party’s lead narrowing.
Despite Labour’s 2024 election victory, Duffield warned that the party had strayed too far from its roots, declaring, “The Labour Party has left me.”
