TRADE union leaders praised former Labour MP Laura Smith as she announced her resignation from the party today.

The former shadow Cabinet Office minister under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership slammed hypocrisy in politics and accused Labour of policing thought crimes.

Ms Smith, who was MP for Crewe and Nantwich from 2017 to 2019, called for a general strike to bring down the Tory government at the 2018 Labour conference.

She had been suspended from Cheshire East Labour group for refusing to vote for an austerity budget last month.

The former teacher said: “The stark reality of our political system is one that I cannot pretend hasn’t made me more cynical, less hopeful for a real alternative and unfortunately more worried for the future.”

She said politics was not a safe space for women and that the “old tropes” about it being corrupt held true from the top to local politics.

On Labour, she said: “It has become a place where to have a thought in your head that differs to the Labour leadership and the officials behind the scenes is an offence that can lead to suspension or even expulsion.”

Adding that she is “not a hypocrite,” she said: “It is for that reason, and after much consideration, I have decided to resign my membership of the UK Labour Party, rather than appeal my recent suspension letter by the local labour group at Cheshire East Council.”

She said she had been suspended for voting against the whip on an austerity budget, which would place councillors as “the punching bag” for ministers’ bids to destroy public services.

Ms Smith said that both the Labour Party’s leadership on international policy and domestic issues were “now completely at odds” with her beliefs and that an alternative voice is “no longer respected within the party structures.”

“There is a complete void of honesty, decency, ambition and leadership from those with true power to change things,” she said.

Bakers’ union BFAWU president Ian Hodson said that she is a working-class woman who wanted to make a difference for her community, saying: “The idea a Labour Party would punish you for saying the people have suffered enough is no longer acceptable in the party that was set up to represent them is disgusting.”

RMT president Alex Gordon said: “You refuse to endorse austerity 3.0. This is a dividing line, which will be more pronounced with Rachel Reeves as chancellor.”

Cheshire East Labour group was contacted for comment.