Politician resigns from Labour over Muslim policies

Yesterday the Utrecht province council member Bert de Vries of the PvdA terminated his membership with the party with immediate effect after 17 years of "loyal support". He feels that the faction is too involved in the mosque to win votes. "I oppose that the PvdA is so driven in the mosque to win votes in every election", De Vries wrote in his farewell address. According to De Vries, the party invites the influence of the mosque in with the votes they get. "The group has made a working visit to three mosques. A wrong signal", said De Vries.

Na 17 jaar lidmaatschap PvdA opgezegd. Partij niet meer activistisch genoeg, teveel invloed moskee en omgang in fractie beschamend #triest

— Bert de Vries (@bertdevriespvda) December 2, 2014

He says that the party "is secular, but with every election it runs to the mosque for votes and puts mosque goers on the candidate list". According to De Vries, the behavior in the fraction is shameful. He will now continue as a one-man fraction.

PvdA seculier; maar rent wel elke verkiezing naar moskee voor stemmen en zet moskee-gangers op kandidatenlijst. Wie wind zaait zal storm...

— Bert de Vries (@bertdevriespvda) November 14, 2014

On their website the PvdA in the province of Utrecht say that they have taken note of Bert de Vries's decision to leave the Labor Party and the PvdA faction in the Provincial States. They do not agree with de Vries's assessment of the party.