Former Labour minister: we can't have Jeremy Corbyn as our Prime Minister

6 December 2019, 12:38 | Updated: 6 December 2019, 18:52

"We can't vote Jeremy Corbyn into 10 Downing Street, we can't have him as our Prime Minister," former Labour MP Joan Ryan told Iain Dale.

Iain Dale started by asking the former Labour Party Home Office Minister how difficult a decision it was to come out and ask people not to vote for her former party.

She replied saying that she has been involved in the Labour Party for 40 years, she has "always voted Labour" and that when she left the party back it February it was "one of the saddest days of my life."

Joan Ryan went on to say that it was "incredibly difficult" to have to publicly ask people not to vote Labour because, in her view, "we can't vote Jeremy Corbyn into 10 Downing Street, we can't have him as our Prime Minister".

She admitted she was "very conflicted" about her decision but that as a public representative she had "a duty to stand up and be honest" about what is the "right thing to do in the election".

Iain Dale then pressed the former Labour MP for the exact reasons for her announcement and asked whether anti-semitism was the main factor.

Joan Ryan revealed that anti-semitism was "predominantly" the reason, and said it was shameful, appalling and that it was "like a poison that has spread throughout the party".

She went on to criticise Jeremy Corbyn he is "personally culpable" and has "perpetuated" the issue. She said that the Labour leader has "had every opportunity to deal with it" but has instead "looked the other way".