BRIDGWATER'S Labour leaders have united in expressing disappointment at the public departure of seven Labour MPs who left the party this week.

The seven MPs said they had resigned in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's approach to Brexit and anti-Semitism.

They are Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker and Ann Coffey.

However their decision has been criticised heavily by prominent local Labour voices including Cllr Brian Smedley, Bridgwater Town Council leader, who said 'history is against' the defectors.

“It is disappointing that people elected on a Labour ticket, by Labour voters and aided by campaign funds raised by Labour supporters should take this step to undermine the party when for us the real enemy is the Conservatives.

"However, history is against them. When the Gang of Four set up the SDP in the early 80’s because the party was ‘getting too socialist’ they claimed to be a ‘new cross-party alternative’.

"The only thing they achieved was to keep the Conservatives in power throughout the 1980’s.

"The British public and quite frankly the Labour voters and members who put them there in the first place deserve better than this."

Deputy town council leader Cllr Kathy Pearce said she was disappointed by the turn of events and added that with Brexit just around the corner this was just the time when Labour needs to stand united.

Bridgwater mayor Cllr Diogo Rodrigues said the move by the MPs could be damaging, but was not wholly surprising.

"I have been a Labour member for almost a decade.

"A proud member of a party that champions equality, fairness and one that shows compassion. It is sad that some MPs have chosen to leave the party.

"But the truth is that these are the same MPs that have been highly critical of our Leader and the direction of our party for some time.

"So perhaps it won’t come as a large surprise that they have taken this route.

"I don’t believe that a breakaway is a good thing, in fact it may cause us some damage."

Their sentiments were echoed by Somerset County Council Labour group leader Cllr Leigh Redman, Sedgemoor Labour group leader, Cllr Mick Lerry, Bridgwater and West Somerset CLP chairman Gary Tucker and Bridgwater Labour branch chairman Glen Burrows among others.