Michael Cashman’s attack on Rosie Duffield costs him the Labour whip

According to LabourList, Michael Cashman, a peer and co-founder of Stonewall, has been suspended from the Labour Party for using derogatory language to describe Rosie Duffield. Cashman called her "frit or lazy" after she withdrew from a hustings event.

The ex-EU Parliament member and Labour committee chair, who was made a peer in 2014, expressed regret for his comments.

On Sunday, he shared on X about his remorse on a post he made about the Labour nominee for Canterbury. He expressed a complete apology and is aware that various grievances will be directed towards the Labour party because of his actions.

Following a post that has since been removed, it was reported that he replied to the news of Duffield's withdrawal from a public debate event and wrote "Frit. Or lazy".

Duffield, who has been threatened with death before, pointed out that she was being continuously insulted, treated with hostility and had false statements made about her. She claimed that this was negatively impacting her feeling of safety and overall happiness.

She also stated that candidates must be aware of their own safety as well as the safety of their campaign staff.

When journalists asked Keir Starmer about the matter today, he commented that Cashman's remarks were "extremely unfitting". He also mentioned that the whip's support was removed very quickly because of this.

Wes Streeting, who serves as the Shadow Health Secretary, expressed his disagreement with Michael's statement during an interview with Times Radio on Sunday. He went on to say that he found Michael's words to be very unfair and expressed concern for Rosie, who has reportedly been subjected to abuse and is no longer able to attend political debates as a result. Streeting also noted that the abuse has caused Rosie to alter her behavior in various ways.

"This is completely unacceptable and intolerable. The mistreatment that Nigel Farage has received also falls under these same terms. Michael and Rosie are good friends of mine, and this sort of division is exactly what I've been trying to address and fix through my hard work."

Cashman, who has previously worked as an actor, acted as the representative for the West Midlands as a Member of the European Parliament. Additionally, he served as a member of the ruling body of the Labour party for more than ten years.

The individual and the Labour party were requested to provide their opinions.

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