Labour supporters call for Angela Smith to stand in by-election

Sheffield locals are calling for recently resigned Labour MP Angela Smith to stand in a by-election after she joined the Independent Group on Monday.

Smith, who left the party because of the anti-Semitism crisis, later faced her own scandal after her ‘funny tinge’ comments on BBC2’s Politics Live when talking about people from the BAME community.

Despite making a public apology, angry Labour supporters are now calling for the former MP for Penistone and Stockbridge to stand in a by-election along with the other resigned MPs.

I voted for her because she was Labour, and the only Labour option. Now she is independent there should be a by-election, but I do worry that Stocksbridge would choose UKIP 🙈

— Emma Brooks (@emmabroooksy) February 21, 2019

Mark Adams, from Dodworth said: “If Angela Smith no longer represents the manifesto she was elected upon then she and indeed the rest of the Independent Group should have to stand for re-election in a by-election.”

“How can these MPs leave these parties and not expect to trigger by-elections? It’s undemocratic in my opinion” he said.

The Independent Group, which is now made up of 11 Labour and Conservative MPs, is anticipating that more MPs will join within the coming weeks in the midst of the Labour anti-Semitism crisis.