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| Jeremy Corbyn accused of lacking moral clarity on antisemitism | Jeremy Corbyn accused of lacking moral clarity on antisemitism |
| (6 months 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, worthy of horror. | 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, worthy of horror. |
| 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. |
| Two major public furores about antisemitism occurred in 2016, with Labour MP Naz Shah apologising for an antisemitic Facebook post, and former London mayor Ken Livingstone making remarks about “the Israel lobby” and Hitler supporting Zionism in broadcast interviews that eventually led to him quitting the party after a lengthy disciplinary process. A report that year by Shami Chakrabarti exonerated the party of widespread antisemitism but reported an 'occasionally toxic atmosphere'. | |
| Matters escalated in 2018 when it became evident that the party was receiving more and more complaints, to the extent that there was a backlog of disciplinary cases. Jeremy Corbyn apologised that April for hurt caused to the Jewish community by problems in the process and pointed to only 0.1% of members being under investigation for alleged antisemitic comments. | |
| But the party was also mired in a row about whether to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which it ended up ultimately approving. Then accusations of political interference in the complaints process by aides close to Corbyn began to emerge earlier this year, which the party strongly denies. | |
| The resignations of some MPs and peers over antisemitism in February 2019 alarmed many Labour colleagues. Then Chris Williamson, a Labour MP and ally of Corbyn, caused an outcry for saying that the party had been 'too apologetic' about antisemitism complaints. However, many of his supporters in the party backed a campaign saying he had been vilified and badly treated. Then came the announcement that the Equalities and Human Rights Commission was placing the party under formal investigation over antisemitism. | |
| In a July 2019 programme, eight whistleblowers spoke to a BBC Panorama documentary, with some saying they felt there was political meddling from Corbyn’s office in the process for handling antisemitism complaints. Seumas Milne, one of Corbyn’s closest aides, told officials the party was 'muddling up political disputes with racism' and must review processes. Jennie Formby, the general secretary, was accused of attempting to interfere in who sat on a panel examining the case of Jackie Walker, a high-profile activist who was eventually expelled from the party. | |
| Labour strongly denied the allegations of political interference, and came out on the offensive, accusing the BBC of bias and calling for the documentary to be pulled. A Labour spokesman said the party had fully answered “a number of questions” put to it by the programme, and had also sent 50 pages of documents in response. The complaints to the BBC had been made “at various levels, including the director general”. | |
| Rowena Mason, Deputy political editor | |
| 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.” |
| Corbyn needs to defend Labour MPs fighting antisemitism | Jonathan Goldstein and Jonathan Arkush | Corbyn needs to defend Labour MPs fighting antisemitism | Jonathan Goldstein and Jonathan Arkush |
| 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. | 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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