Laura Pidcock quits Labour ruling body over treatment of the left

A former Labour MP has quit the party's ruling body, claiming it has become a "hostile territory for socialists" under Sir Keir Starmer.

Laura Pidcock - a prominent supporter of ex-leader Jeremy Corbyn - accused the new leadership of being "devoid of ideas" and "lacking vision".

And she said the National Executive Committee (NEC) were "determined to alienate the left" of the party.

Labour said: "We thank Laura for her service and respect her decision."

Ms Pidcock sat as an MP for North West Durham from 2017 until she lost her seat to the Conservatives in 2019.

She was a member of Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet and seen as a rising star on the left of the party.

But after losing her seat, she ran for a place on the NEC, saying she hoped to offer "a bridge from Corbynism to what we expected to be the next stage" for the party.

Ms Pidcock has been a vocal critic of Sir Keir - especially over his decision not to restore the party whip to Mr Corbyn in Parliament, after the former leader was suspended for his response to a human rights watchdog report on anti-Semitism in Labour ranks.

Earlier this week, the NEC voted against giving him the whip back too, meaning Mr Corbyn remains as an independent MP in the Commons and may not be able to stand for Labour in the next election.

In a statement, Ms Pidcock said she was resigning her seat on the committee because of "an irreconcilable difference between the actions of the Labour Party as it stands and the principles that underpin the way I have been taught to treat people and my idea of what a political organisation should be for".

She said she did not know how Sir Keir's reign would pan out when she joined the NEC, but added: "What has ensued is a barrage of top-down changes which is making it hostile territory for socialists, from those of us on the NEC, to those in [Constituency Labour Parties] across the country."

The former MP claimed some of the changes had "undermined democracy in the party and the freedom with which members are able to express themselves".

And she said the cheering of Christian Wakeford by, who defected from the Tories to Labour last week, "crystallised [her] deep unease".

"This leadership is devoid of ideas, lacking vision," she added.

"I can't and won't negotiate with these people anymore."