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| Labour will get a grip on anti-Semitism, says Tom Watson | Labour will get a grip on anti-Semitism, says Tom Watson |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has said the party will "get a grip" on anti-Semitism following the suspension of Ken Livingstone on Thursday. | Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has said the party will "get a grip" on anti-Semitism following the suspension of Ken Livingstone on Thursday. |
| Labour was considering changes to its rules to send "a clear signal" of its "zero tolerance" towards anti-Semitism. | Labour was considering changes to its rules to send "a clear signal" of its "zero tolerance" towards anti-Semitism. |
| Mr Livingstone was suspended after claiming Hitler supported Zionism "before he went mad". | Mr Livingstone was suspended after claiming Hitler supported Zionism "before he went mad". |
| Labour has been beset in recent weeks by growing claims of anti-Semitism within its ranks. | Labour has been beset in recent weeks by growing claims of anti-Semitism within its ranks. |
| Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham said allegations must be dealt with "much more speedily in the future". | Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham said allegations must be dealt with "much more speedily in the future". |
| Anti-Semitism and Zionism | Anti-Semitism and Zionism |
| What's the difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism? | What's the difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism? |
| Q&A: Labour anti-Semitism row | |
| He told BBC One's Question Time on Thursday that he did not think the party was anti-Semitic but added: "These allegations, when they are surfacing, have not been dealt with properly and quickly enough." | He told BBC One's Question Time on Thursday that he did not think the party was anti-Semitic but added: "These allegations, when they are surfacing, have not been dealt with properly and quickly enough." |
| But Mr Watson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that party leader Jeremy Corbyn did "act swiftly" to suspend his ally of 40 years, Mr Livingstone. | But Mr Watson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that party leader Jeremy Corbyn did "act swiftly" to suspend his ally of 40 years, Mr Livingstone. |
| He said Mr Livingstone's comments were "vile" adding: "To link Hitler and Zionism in the way he did must have been designed to create offence." But he said it was for Labour's ruling national executive committee to decide whether to expel him from the party. | He said Mr Livingstone's comments were "vile" adding: "To link Hitler and Zionism in the way he did must have been designed to create offence." But he said it was for Labour's ruling national executive committee to decide whether to expel him from the party. |
| In the meantime Mr Watson said he and Mr Corbyn had been looking at whether "Labour's own structures" needed changing "to make sure that we send a very clear signal to people in our party that we will have a zero tolerance approach to anti-Semitism". | In the meantime Mr Watson said he and Mr Corbyn had been looking at whether "Labour's own structures" needed changing "to make sure that we send a very clear signal to people in our party that we will have a zero tolerance approach to anti-Semitism". |
| "Do we need to change our rules to explicitly rule out racism and specifically include anti-Semitism in that?" he said. | "Do we need to change our rules to explicitly rule out racism and specifically include anti-Semitism in that?" he said. |
| "We are going to deal with this." | "We are going to deal with this." |
| Meanwhile BBC Wales understands that Mr Corbyn cancelled a visit to Wales, where Labour activists are campaigning ahead of the assembly elections, amid fears it would be overshadowed by the anti-Semitism row. | |
| The row exploded on Thursday after a radio interview that Mr Livingstone did with BBC Radio London, defending Naz Shah, the party's MP for Bradford West, who had been suspended on Wednesday over comments on Facebook. | The row exploded on Thursday after a radio interview that Mr Livingstone did with BBC Radio London, defending Naz Shah, the party's MP for Bradford West, who had been suspended on Wednesday over comments on Facebook. |
| In it he said: "When Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews." | In it he said: "When Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews." |
| He was later confronted outside the BBC's studios by Labour MP John Mann, who accused him of being a "Nazi apologist" in front of TV cameras. Other Labour MPs condemned Mr Livingstone's comments. | He was later confronted outside the BBC's studios by Labour MP John Mann, who accused him of being a "Nazi apologist" in front of TV cameras. Other Labour MPs condemned Mr Livingstone's comments. |
| He was later suspended by Mr Corbyn, who said there had been "grave concerns" about the language used. | He was later suspended by Mr Corbyn, who said there had been "grave concerns" about the language used. |
| Labour peer Lord Sugar said Mr Livingstone had "lost the plot" and was "obsessed with Hitler, concentration camps and Jews". | Labour peer Lord Sugar said Mr Livingstone had "lost the plot" and was "obsessed with Hitler, concentration camps and Jews". |
| "They will wait for it to blow over a little bit and they will find some way of him coming back in, slipping back into the Labour fold," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. | "They will wait for it to blow over a little bit and they will find some way of him coming back in, slipping back into the Labour fold," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. |
| 'Ridiculous' | 'Ridiculous' |
| But Jon Lansman, chairman of Momentum, a grassroots network of Corbyn supporters, said that while Mr Livingstone's comments were "very ill-judged, wrong and offensive" to "call Ken a Nazi apologist is ridiculous". | But Jon Lansman, chairman of Momentum, a grassroots network of Corbyn supporters, said that while Mr Livingstone's comments were "very ill-judged, wrong and offensive" to "call Ken a Nazi apologist is ridiculous". |
| He said: "Just as the Tories have an interest in stoking up the flames of whatever crisis is here... largely a crisis of perception... so do some people in the Labour Party and I'm afraid John Mann is one of them. John Mann is no supporter of Jeremy Corbyn." | He said: "Just as the Tories have an interest in stoking up the flames of whatever crisis is here... largely a crisis of perception... so do some people in the Labour Party and I'm afraid John Mann is one of them. John Mann is no supporter of Jeremy Corbyn." |
| On Wednesday Ms Shah was suspended, pending an investigation, over comments she made on Facebook before she became an MP, including a suggestion that Israel should be moved to the United States. | On Wednesday Ms Shah was suspended, pending an investigation, over comments she made on Facebook before she became an MP, including a suggestion that Israel should be moved to the United States. |
| She has apologised but it has prompted claims from senior Labour figures that the party was not doing enough to tackle growing anti-Semitism in its ranks. | She has apologised but it has prompted claims from senior Labour figures that the party was not doing enough to tackle growing anti-Semitism in its ranks. |
| Mr Corbyn has denied the party is in crisis, saying: "It's not a crisis. There's no crisis. Where there is any racism in the party it will be dealt with, it will be rooted out." | Mr Corbyn has denied the party is in crisis, saying: "It's not a crisis. There's no crisis. Where there is any racism in the party it will be dealt with, it will be rooted out." |
| He said it was "simply wrong" to suggest Labour was not cracking down on anti-Semitism. "We have suspended where appropriate, we have investigated all cases. We will not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form whatsoever in the party." | He said it was "simply wrong" to suggest Labour was not cracking down on anti-Semitism. "We have suspended where appropriate, we have investigated all cases. We will not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form whatsoever in the party." |