"I think it's fair enough to have a women's group of Labour MPs, or a London Labour group of MPs, or a coastal town group of Labour MPs - but I think to set up a group with the idea that the government is somehow not delivering on what it should be, I think that that's bad.".
Warning issued to Labour MPs who set up group over Reform UK threat The Labour MPs who have set up a pressure group to counter the threat of Reform UK have been warned they risked promoting factionalism.
She highlighted how the previous Conservative government struggled with the "five families" of internal groups such as the Brexit-supporting European Research Group (ERG) and the Northern Research Group, which put pressure on the government to meet its manifesto commitment of levelling up the nations and regions.
The informal cohort of Labour MPs who make up the new group is drawn from the 89 constituencies where Nigel Farage's party came second to Labour at the July general election.
"And therefore, if you set up a group who's wanting the government to be effective on immigration, then you're immediately suggesting to your voters and your constituents that they're right, that they're thinking that the government is not doing enough.
