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| Jeremy Corbyn accused of lacking moral clarity on antisemitism | Jeremy Corbyn accused of lacking moral clarity on antisemitism |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Jeremy Corbyn’s backbenchers have rounded on the failure of the party to tackle antisemitism in a blistering three hours that ended with a Labour MP calling closing remarks by the shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, “horrifying.” | |
| The antisemitism debate was called by the government, a move that often blunts opposition anger. Instead, furious speeches from many Labour MPs will threaten the Labour leader’s efforts to show that he is a “militant opponent” of antisemitism. | The antisemitism debate was called by the government, a move that often blunts opposition anger. Instead, furious speeches from many Labour MPs will threaten the Labour leader’s efforts to show that he is a “militant opponent” of antisemitism. |
| Almost every Labour MP who spoke described in powerful terms the depths of the abuse they and Jewish friends and colleagues were experiencing. | Almost every Labour MP who spoke described in powerful terms the depths of the abuse they and Jewish friends and colleagues were experiencing. |
| Luciana Berger, who has received antisemitic death threats, warned that while antisemitism was growing everywhere, the problem was worse within the Labour party. | Luciana Berger, who has received antisemitic death threats, warned that while antisemitism was growing everywhere, the problem was worse within the Labour party. |
| Labour has been repeatedly blighted by charges that it has failed to tackle antisemitism in the party since Jeremy Corbyn became leader in 2015. Supporters of Corbyn, who has a long history of supporting Palestinians in their dispute with Israel, fear the issue is being used to undermine his leadership. | Labour has been repeatedly blighted by charges that it has failed to tackle antisemitism in the party since Jeremy Corbyn became leader in 2015. Supporters of Corbyn, who has a long history of supporting Palestinians in their dispute with Israel, fear the issue is being used to undermine his leadership. |
| Labour launches an inquiry into allegations of antisemitism and bullying after a fractious election of a youth representative to its ruling body. | Labour launches an inquiry into allegations of antisemitism and bullying after a fractious election of a youth representative to its ruling body. |
| Labour expels far-left activist Gerry Downing, who had spoken of the need to “address the Jewish question”. | Labour expels far-left activist Gerry Downing, who had spoken of the need to “address the Jewish question”. |
| Activist Vicki Kirby is suspended by the party for a second time over making alleged antisemitic tweets. She apparently suggested Adolf Hitler might be a “Zionist God” and that Jews had “big noses”. | Activist Vicki Kirby is suspended by the party for a second time over making alleged antisemitic tweets. She apparently suggested Adolf Hitler might be a “Zionist God” and that Jews had “big noses”. |
| Labour suspends Khadim Hussain, a Labour councillor and former lord mayor of Bradford, after he shared a Facebook post that said “your school education system only tells you about Anne Frank and the 6 million Zionists that were killed by Hitler". He later quit the party. | Labour suspends Khadim Hussain, a Labour councillor and former lord mayor of Bradford, after he shared a Facebook post that said “your school education system only tells you about Anne Frank and the 6 million Zionists that were killed by Hitler". He later quit the party. |
| Naz Shah, the Labour MP for Bradford West, apologises for writing a series of antisemitic posts on Facebook including arguing for Israel’s population to be ‘transported’ out of the Middle East. She also resigns as PPS to John McDonnell and after sustained pressure is suspended from the party a day later. | Naz Shah, the Labour MP for Bradford West, apologises for writing a series of antisemitic posts on Facebook including arguing for Israel’s population to be ‘transported’ out of the Middle East. She also resigns as PPS to John McDonnell and after sustained pressure is suspended from the party a day later. |
| Labour suspends, but does not expel, former London mayor Ken Livingstone, after making offensive comments about Hitler supporting Zionism while defending Shah. | Labour suspends, but does not expel, former London mayor Ken Livingstone, after making offensive comments about Hitler supporting Zionism while defending Shah. |
| A two-month inquiry by Shami Chakrabarti, ordered by Corbyn, urges Labour members to avoid abusive language and references to Hitler and Holocaust metaphors. It is criticised as being too soft on the issue and regarded as compromised because Chakrabarti had just accepted a peerage. | A two-month inquiry by Shami Chakrabarti, ordered by Corbyn, urges Labour members to avoid abusive language and references to Hitler and Holocaust metaphors. It is criticised as being too soft on the issue and regarded as compromised because Chakrabarti had just accepted a peerage. |
| Jackie Walker is removed as vice-chair of Momentum after criticising Holocaust Memorial Day but is allowed to remain on its steering committee. She was earlier suspended by the party for questioning why Holocaust Memorial Day did not recognise other genocides. | Jackie Walker is removed as vice-chair of Momentum after criticising Holocaust Memorial Day but is allowed to remain on its steering committee. She was earlier suspended by the party for questioning why Holocaust Memorial Day did not recognise other genocides. |
| The home affairs select committee accuses Labour of incompetence in dealing with antisemitism and helping to create a safe space for people with “vile attitudes towards Jewish people”. | The home affairs select committee accuses Labour of incompetence in dealing with antisemitism and helping to create a safe space for people with “vile attitudes towards Jewish people”. |
| Livingstone again avoids expulsion from the party after a disciplinary panel rules he should be suspended for another year over comments about antisemitism, Hitler and Zionism. Britain’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, accuses Labour of failing the Jewish community by not expelling Livingstone. | Livingstone again avoids expulsion from the party after a disciplinary panel rules he should be suspended for another year over comments about antisemitism, Hitler and Zionism. Britain’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, accuses Labour of failing the Jewish community by not expelling Livingstone. |
| Corbyn backs a party rule change, put forward by the Jewish Labour Movement, that takes tougher line on antisemitic abuse. | Corbyn backs a party rule change, put forward by the Jewish Labour Movement, that takes tougher line on antisemitic abuse. |
| With Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, sitting beside her, Berger said: “ Anti-racism is one our essential values and there was a time not long ago when the left actively confronted antisemitism. | With Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, sitting beside her, Berger said: “ Anti-racism is one our essential values and there was a time not long ago when the left actively confronted antisemitism. |
| “One antisemitic member of the Labour party is one member too many ... It pains me to say this in 2018 that within the Labour party antisemitism is now more commonplace, is more conspicuous and is more corrosive. | “One antisemitic member of the Labour party is one member too many ... It pains me to say this in 2018 that within the Labour party antisemitism is now more commonplace, is more conspicuous and is more corrosive. |
| She received a standing ovation for her speech. Labour’s Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North, was also cheered when he called on his party’s leadership to expel Ken Livingstone, who claimed Hitler was a Zionist, from the party to show it was taking antisemitism seriously. Livingstone has been suspended from the party for two years. | She received a standing ovation for her speech. Labour’s Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North, was also cheered when he called on his party’s leadership to expel Ken Livingstone, who claimed Hitler was a Zionist, from the party to show it was taking antisemitism seriously. Livingstone has been suspended from the party for two years. |
| Another Labour backbencher, Joan Ryan, said she had just been in Poland to take part in the March of the Living visiting the places “where history’s greatest shame was committed”. | Another Labour backbencher, Joan Ryan, said she had just been in Poland to take part in the March of the Living visiting the places “where history’s greatest shame was committed”. |
| “When I first became an MP 21 years ago, I never imagined that some in my party would suggest that this horror should be a matter for debate. [Would he join me in saying] shame on them, and shame on any who fails to speak out against them.” | “When I first became an MP 21 years ago, I never imagined that some in my party would suggest that this horror should be a matter for debate. [Would he join me in saying] shame on them, and shame on any who fails to speak out against them.” |
| Among several MPs cheered and applauded by colleagues for their speeches, Ruth Smeeth, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, criticised the “poison” of antisemitism that was “engulfing” part of her own party and wider political discourse. | Among several MPs cheered and applauded by colleagues for their speeches, Ruth Smeeth, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, criticised the “poison” of antisemitism that was “engulfing” part of her own party and wider political discourse. |
| Dame Margaret Hodge, MP for Barking, described how she had seen a battered suitcase with her uncle’s initials on it when she visited Auschwitz and how she had “never felt as nervous and frightened as I do today” about being Jewish. | Dame Margaret Hodge, MP for Barking, described how she had seen a battered suitcase with her uncle’s initials on it when she visited Auschwitz and how she had “never felt as nervous and frightened as I do today” about being Jewish. |
| “It feels that my party has given permission for antisemitism to go unchallenged. Antisemitism is making me an outsider in my Labour party. Enough is enough.” | “It feels that my party has given permission for antisemitism to go unchallenged. Antisemitism is making me an outsider in my Labour party. Enough is enough.” |
| John Mann, the Labour MP for Bassetlaw – who chairs the all party group on antisemitism, criticised those on the left who claim that calling out antisemitism is a way of attacking Corbyn. | John Mann, the Labour MP for Bassetlaw – who chairs the all party group on antisemitism, criticised those on the left who claim that calling out antisemitism is a way of attacking Corbyn. |
| “Those who say it is a smear raising this issue need to publicly apologise and publicly understand what they are doing,” he said. | “Those who say it is a smear raising this issue need to publicly apologise and publicly understand what they are doing,” he said. |
| “Where this stuff ends is what happened in Copenhagen, what happened in Brussels, what happened in France repeatedly including four weeks ago … it is because they are Jewish that’s where this ends and we know where history takes us.” | “Where this stuff ends is what happened in Copenhagen, what happened in Brussels, what happened in France repeatedly including four weeks ago … it is because they are Jewish that’s where this ends and we know where history takes us.” |
| The communities secretary Sajid Javid opened the debate accusing Corbyn, who was sitting in the Commons for almost every speech, of displaying a “worrying lack of leadership and moral clarity” on antisemitism. | The communities secretary Sajid Javid opened the debate accusing Corbyn, who was sitting in the Commons for almost every speech, of displaying a “worrying lack of leadership and moral clarity” on antisemitism. |
| Javid urged the Labour leader to “once and for all” clarify his opposition to antisemitism as the Commons took the highly unusual step of debating the issue. | Javid urged the Labour leader to “once and for all” clarify his opposition to antisemitism as the Commons took the highly unusual step of debating the issue. |
| Corbyn is holding talks next week with two leading Jewish organisation, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies, although a proposed roundtable discussion with community leaders is in doubt after mainstream invitees objected to the inclusion of an anti-Israel Jewish group. | Corbyn is holding talks next week with two leading Jewish organisation, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies, although a proposed roundtable discussion with community leaders is in doubt after mainstream invitees objected to the inclusion of an anti-Israel Jewish group. |
| In a move to underline how it has responded in the month since a demonstration by the two organisations outside parliament, the new general secretary Jennie Formby emailed every Labour MP on Tuesday night to set out progress since she began work a fortnight ago. | In a move to underline how it has responded in the month since a demonstration by the two organisations outside parliament, the new general secretary Jennie Formby emailed every Labour MP on Tuesday night to set out progress since she began work a fortnight ago. |
| “Jeremy and I are determined to eradicate the stain of antisemitic attitudes in our party, and this will be a central priority in my role as general secretary,” she said in email. | “Jeremy and I are determined to eradicate the stain of antisemitic attitudes in our party, and this will be a central priority in my role as general secretary,” she said in email. |
| But her words were almost immediately undermined according to some Labour MPs by the closing remarks of the shadow home secretary, who devoted more than half her speech to addressing the concerns of the Haredi community of ultra-orthodox Jews in her Hackney constituency. Abbott also quoted a rabbi who had suggested that antisemitism was part of a wider social discontent. | |
| Louise Ellman, who had made a powerful speech in the debate, said afterwards “I was appalled. It was a grave misjudgement.” Another Labour MP, Wes Streeting, told MPs that he feared the wider Jewish community would be “horrified by the response from our front bench to this debate today.” | Louise Ellman, who had made a powerful speech in the debate, said afterwards “I was appalled. It was a grave misjudgement.” Another Labour MP, Wes Streeting, told MPs that he feared the wider Jewish community would be “horrified by the response from our front bench to this debate today.” |
| The home secretary, Amber Rudd, concluded: “Labour is a noble and honourable party and it is absolutely wrong that this corner of antisemitism has been allowed to flourish. [Corbyn] has an obligation to take action. We expect nothing less.” | The home secretary, Amber Rudd, concluded: “Labour is a noble and honourable party and it is absolutely wrong that this corner of antisemitism has been allowed to flourish. [Corbyn] has an obligation to take action. We expect nothing less.” |
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