Brent MP to quit over policies

Labour politician Dawn Butler has launched a scathing criticism of Sarah Teather's decision to step down as Lib Dem MP for Brent, claiming she only did so to avoid losing the seat at the next elections.

Butler was MP for Brent for five years, but lost the seat to Teather when it became the new Brent Central constituency in 2010. She claims Sarah Teather's decision was not based on political principles and says she has already lost the respect of her constituents.

Sarah Teather, the Liberal Democrat MP for Brent, has announced she will quit Parliament at the 2015 election, citing disappointment with recent party policies.

She has been the leader of Brent since 2003, when at age 29 her election made her the youngest MP in Britain. She also served as children's minister in the coalition government before returning to the backbenches last year.

In a statement on her website, she said: "I have disagreed with both government and official party lines on a whole range of welfare and immigration policies, and those differences have been getting larger rather than smaller."

One of the main reasons she pointed to was the Lib Dem's decision to back the Tories' planned cap on welfare while she was in Government. She also said that Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg's plan to make some immigrants to pay a £1,000 deposit when applying for visas left her feeling "utterly desolate"

A Lib Dem spokesman said it was "disappointed" by herdecision - which comes a week before the annual party conference - and defendedits "proud record" in the coalition Government.