Fitzpatrick rebels: too little, too late

JIM FITZPATRICK, Labour MP for the Poplar & Limehouse seat in Tower Hamlets, has at last rebelled against his own party Whip. The MP known in Tory circles as “Dim Jim” voted against having a General Election on 8th June – just as a massive 522 MPs were voting to dissolve Parliament and go to the country.

There were 13 rebels altogether. Jim was joined by Labour MPs Ronnie Campbell, Ann Clwyd, Paul Farrelly, Clive Lewis, Fiona Mactaggart, Liz McInnes, Dennis Sinner and Graham Stringer. Other MPs voting against holding a General Election were two from Scottish seats – Natalie McGarry and Michelle Thomson – as well as Lady Hermon and Alasdair McDonnell  from seats in the north of Ireland.

Fitzpatrick recently implied where his political loyalties lie – having retweeted (above) an announcement that Progress, a group in the Labour Party which still supports Tony Blair’s discredited policies, is celebrating New Labour’s discredited policies to mark the 20th anniversary of 1997 General Election victory. His rebellion against the Labour Whip – and, by implication, Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership – is therefore not so much of a surprise.

Having voted against a General Election, Jim lost no time in announcing that he would be standing in it – tweeting a picture of the front sheet of his nomination papers (right).

The other major parties and some joke candidates are likely to contest the seat – but it remains to be seen whether any serious challenge will come from the left in the shape of candidates from any of Tower Hamlets Council’s Independent groupings.

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