Sheffield MP declares his views on breakaway parliamentary group

Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O’Mara has said he won't be joining the newly-formed Independent Group in the ‘unlikely' event he was asked.
Jared O'Mara MP for Sheffield HallamJared O'Mara MP for Sheffield Hallam
Jared O'Mara MP for Sheffield Hallam

It comes after three Tory MPs resigned from the party to join the group, set up by former Labour MPs including Angela Smith, who represents Penistone and Stocksbridge.

Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen wrote a joint letter to Theresa May to confirm their departure.

Jared O'Mara MP for Sheffield HallamJared O'Mara MP for Sheffield Hallam
Jared O'Mara MP for Sheffield Hallam
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Mr O’Mara quit the Labour party last July claiming he had not been ‘listened to or given a fair investigation’ after claims he abused a woman.

In a statement, he said: “With regards to the recent news of the departure of seven Labour MPs to form their own Independent Groupm I respect their right to freedom of association and can empathise with the discomfort they each say they have experienced within the Labour party during this parliamentary term.

“I also share their view that a People's Vote is unequivocally the best way to resolve the deadlock over our membership of the EU and the nature of any ratified departure.

“However, beyond that, I am not convinced I have any significant common ground with any of them on an individual or collective level with which to form any allegiance in the unlikely event I was to receive an offer.”

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He said since resigning from Labour he had learned that the country’s parliamentary system could function with 650 elected independent members.

He added: “Brexit has shown us that our elected representatives, myself included, are individuals. I'm not sure our politicians of the future will have need for tenuous shared identities in order to do a better job of things than us lot in there have been recently.”