Lib Dem MP Sarah Teather to stand down in welfare reforms protest

Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather issued a stinging criticism of her own party over immigration and welfare as she announced she would quit Parliament at the next general election.

The ex-minister, who became the youngest MP when she secured a stunning by-election victory over Labour in Brent East almost exactly a decade ago, said her relationship with the party was broken.

A Lib Dem spokesman said it was “disappointed” by her decision, which comes a week before the party conference, and defended its “proud record” in the Government.

Explaining her decision to step down in 2015, Ms Teather pointed to the junior coalition partner’s decision to back the Tories’ planned cap on welfare, while she was in Government.

“It was the moment of realising that my own party was just as afraid of public opinion as the Labour Party. Something did break for me that was never, ever repaired,” she said.

The spokesman said: “Of course we are disappointed by Sarah’s decision.”