Christina Rees loses the Labour whip following complaint

The Labour MP for Neath, Christina Rees has been stripped of the Labour whip at Westminster as the party investigates what have been reported by the Guardian as bullying allegations in relation to her staff.

In a statement, Ms Rees said, “There has been a complaint made against me to the Labour party, which is under investigation, and I am therefore under an administrative suspension until the process is concluded”.

Ms Rees further said that she is not aware of the details of the complaint itself.

Her suspension from her parliamentary party follows that of the Conservative MP, Conor Burns.  Mr Burns was stripped of the Conservative party whip at Westminster last week, but again has said that he has not been told the details of the complaint made against him.

A week earlier, the Labour MP, Rupa Huq, was stripped of the Labour whip after comments she made at a fringe event at the Labour party conference.

Ms Rees will now join these other MPs and sit as an independent at Westminster.

Christina Rees has been the MP for Neath in south Wales since 2015. She previously served in the shadow cabinet under Jeremy Corbyn.

A former international squash player, Ms Rees was once married to Tony Blair’s first Welsh Secretary, Ron Davies.