Birkenhead MP Frank Field told withdraw resignation or face expulsion from Labour Party

Frank Field has been told to withdraw his resignation or face expulsion Credit: PA

Labour veteran Frank Field has been told to withdraw his resignation or face expulsion from the party.

Mr Field, who has served as the MP for Birkenhead for almost 40 years, was told by party chief whip Nick Brown that unless he reversed his decision to resign the whip he would be kicked out of the party within two weeks.

Mr Field told the Guardian that he was contemplating hiring a solicitor to fight any attempt to remove him from the party.

The one-time minister for welfare reform, who was charged by Tony Blair to reform the welfare state by "thinking the unthinkable", sensationally resigned saying that the party was now governed by "a culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation".

Speaking to the Guardian he said:

Mr Field said the meeting was cordial but he was left in little doubt that the party did not want him to stay a member if he did not take the whip.

He said:

He added:

However, Mr Field added that he felt Mr Corbyn's thanks for his service was "as though I was resigning from a whist club" and pointed out that he had been a member of Labour longer than his leader.

The Birkenhead MP also denied claims that he was jumping before he was pushed, having lost a no-confidence vote within his constituency Labour party after backing Brexit.

He said:

"I will be looking for a solicitor, whoever that might be."

The longstanding Labour man earlier told BBC Breakfast that he was considering whether to trigger a by-election if he could not remain in the party.

But he stressed his resignation of the whip over the anti-Semitism crisis was not part of a plot to bring down the Labour leader.

"I hope and I believe Jeremy will lead us into the next election and it is not true I'm a constant critic of Jeremy," said Mr Field.

"That isn't true.

"I believe he has the right to take us into the next election because he has won two leadership contests.

"The idea this is part of a plot or anything else is simply crazy. It is because I think he will lead us into the next election that I think these issues are urgent."

However, Mr Field added that he felt Mr Corbyn's thanks for his service was "as though I was resigning from a whist club" and pointed out that he had been a member of Labour longer than his leader.

The Birkenhead MP also denied claims that he was jumping before he was pushed, having lost a no-confidence vote within his constituency Labour party after backing Brexit.

He said: