FRANK FIELD : RESPECTED BY MOST, HATED BY A FEW.

Frank Field may be a Labour party member and long serving Member of Parliament for Birkenhead but he is also a figure who is highly respected across the political spectrum, excluding the 'hard left', that is.

Field does not adhere to ideological dogma come what may, he espouses and supports generally over socialist views but modified with an element of common sense and pragmatism. In other words, he's an honest and decent politician, one of a very few left. Of course, while his approach may be applauded by many, it does not find favour with those members of the Labour Party who demand total adherence to a totalitarian Stalinist way of doing things. These people are unreconstructed members of a cabal which hates what they see as privilege and elitism, the 'upper class' and the 'rich'; they continue to fight a 'class war' that is no longer relevant and they demand total obedience from anyone who wishes to be associated with them. Frank Field has now made it clear that, while remaining a Labour Party member, he no longer finds it possible to be associated with these extremists.

The Labour Party has a current problem with its attitude towards Jews and anti-Semitism. For months, there have been arguments about various actions of its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and some other senior figures and it's also been in turmoil over what its own definition of anti-Semitism should be. Personally, I find the whole argument incomprehensible but clearly the Labour Party likes to have its members dancing on pin-heads. Frank Field has become fed up with this rubbish and decided that enough is enough; accordingly, he's resigned the Labour whip in parliament, though remains a party member. 

Inevitably the 'hard left' elements in the party have criticized him loudly, notably the ultra-left and ultra-obnoxious Owen Jones who, incidentally, has been one of the BBC's regular guests in recent times. There have been demands that he resign his parliamentary seat, a constituency in which the local Labour Parry has been taken over by extremists who have already passed a motion of no-confidence in Mr Field as a precursor to getting him replaced by some fellow traveller of their own choice; they don't want an MP who represents the constituency and decency, they want one who will be likeminded and do their bidding.

Field may be forced to resign and trigger a by-election, though he will stand again as an independent Labour candidate. If this happens, we will see just how strong is the 'hard left' in that part of the country. If Field is forced out of parliament and replaced by some extremist, one wonders what the future holds for the Labour Party nationally.