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| Jeremy Corbyn accused of 'racial discrimination' by Labour MP Chi Onwurah | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Labour frontbencher has suggested that Jeremy Corbyn might be hauled before an employment tribunal for “racial discrimination” if he worked outside politics. | A Labour frontbencher has suggested that Jeremy Corbyn might be hauled before an employment tribunal for “racial discrimination” if he worked outside politics. |
| Chi Onwurah accused the Labour leader of “picking on” her and another black woman MP, which she said was “statistically interesting to say the least”. | Chi Onwurah accused the Labour leader of “picking on” her and another black woman MP, which she said was “statistically interesting to say the least”. |
| She said Mr Corbyn had dealt with her and Thangam Debbonaire incompetently by splitting a job between them and then failing to properly communicate the changes. | She said Mr Corbyn had dealt with her and Thangam Debbonaire incompetently by splitting a job between them and then failing to properly communicate the changes. |
| “If this had been any of my previous employers in the public and private sectors Jeremy might well have found himself before an industrial tribunal for constructive dismissal, probably with racial discrimination thrown in – given that only five per cent of MPs are black and female, picking on us two is statistically interesting to say the least,” she wrote in the New Statesman. | “If this had been any of my previous employers in the public and private sectors Jeremy might well have found himself before an industrial tribunal for constructive dismissal, probably with racial discrimination thrown in – given that only five per cent of MPs are black and female, picking on us two is statistically interesting to say the least,” she wrote in the New Statesman. |
| “Indeed as Thangam was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time he could have faced disability action as well. In any other job I would have called on my union for support in confronting an all-white management which prevented two of its few black employees from doing their jobs.” | “Indeed as Thangam was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time he could have faced disability action as well. In any other job I would have called on my union for support in confronting an all-white management which prevented two of its few black employees from doing their jobs.” |
| Ms Onwurah remains in Mr Corbyn’s frontbench team but is backing Owen Smith for leader of the party. | Ms Onwurah remains in Mr Corbyn’s frontbench team but is backing Owen Smith for leader of the party. |
| The Independent has contacted Mr Corbyn’s campaign for comment on this story. | The Independent has contacted Mr Corbyn’s campaign for comment on this story. |
| The latest attack against Mr Corbyn comes as he lays out plans to increase democracy across society. The Labour leader said he would devolve more power to regions and local councils, introduce participatory budgeting, put workers on company boards, and democratise the party. | The latest attack against Mr Corbyn comes as he lays out plans to increase democracy across society. The Labour leader said he would devolve more power to regions and local councils, introduce participatory budgeting, put workers on company boards, and democratise the party. |
| “I am determined to democratise our country from the ground up, and give people a real say in their communities and workplaces,” he said. | “I am determined to democratise our country from the ground up, and give people a real say in their communities and workplaces,” he said. |
| “We need to break open the closed circle of Westminster and Whitehall, and of the boardrooms too. | “We need to break open the closed circle of Westminster and Whitehall, and of the boardrooms too. |
| “Decisions in Britain are overwhelmingly taken from the top down. And that’s crucial to why our country is run in the interests of a privileged few.” | “Decisions in Britain are overwhelmingly taken from the top down. And that’s crucial to why our country is run in the interests of a privileged few.” |
| The announcement followed a further rift between Mr Corbyn’s supporters and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan – after the Labour official’s name was booed at a rally in support of Mr Corbyn on Sunday night. | The announcement followed a further rift between Mr Corbyn’s supporters and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan – after the Labour official’s name was booed at a rally in support of Mr Corbyn on Sunday night. |
| Meanwhile the leader’s rival Mr Smith sought to reassure left-wing Labour voters that the he would not tack to the political centre if he won the contest with new pledges on policymaking. | Meanwhile the leader’s rival Mr Smith sought to reassure left-wing Labour voters that the he would not tack to the political centre if he won the contest with new pledges on policymaking. |
| “I would bind myself to the decisions made by the party on party policy. I would not seek to overturn it,” he said in a speech in his home constituency of Pontypridd. | “I would bind myself to the decisions made by the party on party policy. I would not seek to overturn it,” he said in a speech in his home constituency of Pontypridd. |
| “Crucially I would give conference a new role and responsibility in our party to sign off on our manifesto. | “Crucially I would give conference a new role and responsibility in our party to sign off on our manifesto. |
| “I believe it is necessary to reassure people across the party that there would be no backsliding on my watch and that the radical and credible policies I laid out in this leadership contest will be laid out in a manifesto, guaranteed.” | “I believe it is necessary to reassure people across the party that there would be no backsliding on my watch and that the radical and credible policies I laid out in this leadership contest will be laid out in a manifesto, guaranteed.” |
| He also announced measures to strengthen the party’s policy forum, suggesting that affiliated organisations should be more closely involved in the process. | He also announced measures to strengthen the party’s policy forum, suggesting that affiliated organisations should be more closely involved in the process. |
| Left-wingers may still be wary of Mr Smith tacking to the right, however. He has made few pledges on immigration and welfare during the course of the contest – two areas Labour centrists believe the party needs to move rightwards on to win over swing voters. | Left-wingers may still be wary of Mr Smith tacking to the right, however. He has made few pledges on immigration and welfare during the course of the contest – two areas Labour centrists believe the party needs to move rightwards on to win over swing voters. |
| New right-wing policies on these issues are still therefore consistent with Mr Smith following through on pledges made in the campaign. | New right-wing policies on these issues are still therefore consistent with Mr Smith following through on pledges made in the campaign. |
| Earlier in the campaign Mr Corbyn’s team accused Mr Smith of copying his policies on a number of issues. | Earlier in the campaign Mr Corbyn’s team accused Mr Smith of copying his policies on a number of issues. |
| Ballot papers in the leadership contest went out to Labour members at the start of this week, with 640,000 eligible to vote, according to the party. | Ballot papers in the leadership contest went out to Labour members at the start of this week, with 640,000 eligible to vote, according to the party. |