Seven British lawmakers quit the main opposition Labour Party yesterday over its approach to issues including Brexit and anti-Semitism — the biggest shake-up in years for one of Britain’s major political parties.
The announcement ripped open a long-simmering rift between socialists and centrists in the party, which sees itself as the representative of Britain’s working class. It’s also the latest fallout from Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, which has split both of the country’s two main parties — Conservatives and Labour — into pro-Brexit and pro-EU camps.
The splitters — who have between nine and 27 years’ experience in Parliament and represent constituencies across England — make up a small fraction of Labour’s 256 lawmakers, or of the 650 total members of Parliament. But this is the biggest split in the Labour party since four senior members quit in 1981 to form the Social Democratic Party.
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