Welsh Labour MP removes name from Stop the War letter after threat of losing whip

A Welsh Labour MP who signed a statement by Stop the War has removed her name after being told she could lose the Labour whip.

Labour briefed that the Shadow Chief Whip had written to all 11 Labour MPs on the list, including Beth Winter the MP for Cynon Valley.

Their names later disappeared from the list of signatories on the Stop the War website.

The letter did not condone Russia but includes a section that says that “NATO should call a halt to its eastward expansion and commit to a new security deal for Europe which meets the needs of all states and peoples.”

“We refute the idea that NATO is a defensive alliance, and believe its record in Afghanistan, Yugoslavia and Libya over the last generation, not to mention the US-British attack on Iraq, clearly proves otherwise,” the letter adds.

Diane Abbott, John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Ian Lavery, Zarah Sultana, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Apsana Begum, Mick Whitley, Tahir Ali and Ian Mearns are the other names on the letter. It has also been signed by Jeremy Corbyn who has already lost the whip.

The letter has also been signed by Sandra Holliday of Rhondda Cynon Taf Welsh Labour Grassroots.

Beth Winter posted to social media to condemn Vladimir Putin earlier today but did not mention NATO.

“Putin’s invasion of Ukraine today is horrifying and unjustifiable,” she said. “Russian troops must be withdrawn immediately.

“The prevention of casualties must be our priority. A peaceful and diplomatically negotiated resolution of the crisis is necessary.”