Ian Austin MP: Labour leadership's defence of Assange is appalling
Ian Austin MP has attacked the Labour leadership for its "appalling" response to the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Mr Assange was arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Thursday where he had been holed up for seven years.
It prompted Jeremy Corbyn to call on the Government to block his extradition to the US, where he faces a charge of conspiring to reveal White House secrets, while Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott also leapt to his defence, claiming he had been targeted for leaking “embarrassing information” about the US security services.
The comments have sparked a backlash from MPs, including Dudley North's Mr Austin, who quit Labour in February over the party's direction under Mr Corbyn.
He said: "Decent Labour MPs will be appalled that Labour is defending Julian Assange, but how long are they going to put up with a hard left leadership that can be guaranteed to side with our enemies, not our allies?
"Corbyn and co are always on the wrong side."
It came as Ms Abbott appeared to play down rape allegations against Mr Assange, which Swedish prosecutors say they are considering reopening following his arrest.
It stems from Mr Assange's efforts to seek political asylum in 2012, at which time he failed in his legal battle against extradition to Sweden where he was wanted over two separate allegations, one of rape and one of molestation.
In May 2017, prosecutors dropped the long-running inquiry into the rape claim, which Mr Assange has always denied.
Ms Abbott said: "We all know what this is about. It's not the rape charges, serious as they are.
“It's about Wikileaks and all of that embarrassing information about the activities of the American military and security services."
When she was told that the charges could not be brought because Mr Assange had refused to go to Sweden, Mr Abbott said: "The allegations were made but the charges were never brought.
"If the Swedish government wants to come forward with those charges, I believe that Assange should face the criminal justice system. But if you're talking about the American extradition attempt. We should block the extradition of Assange."
