Half of Corbyn’s senior team set to quit as British turmoil worsens

By Svenja O'Donnell

Half of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s senior team is set to resign in protest against his leadership of the country’s opposition as turmoil engulfs British politics after this week’s shock European Union referendum result, the BBC reported.

The resignations were prompted by Corbyn’s decision to sack foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn on Saturday, the BBC said, citing people familiar with the situation. Labour’s health spokesman Heidi Alexander announced her resignation on twitter Sunday.

British politics has been thrown into chaos after voters opted to leave the EU on June 23. Prime Minister David Cameron has already announced his intention to resign, a potentially bitter race to succeed him is under way and Scotland, which voted to stay in the bloc, has started laying plans for another independence referendum.

A motion of no confidence in Corbyn’s leadership was submitted on Friday by two members of the House of Commons, Ann Coffey and Margaret Hodge, for consideration at the parliamentary party’s weekly meeting on Monday evening. Corbyn said the same day he’d stand again for leadership if he was challenged by another lawmaker.