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| Senior Labour figures defend Corbyn in row over antisemitic mural | Senior Labour figures defend Corbyn in row over antisemitic mural |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Senior Labour figures have defended Jeremy Corbyn over his response to the antisemitism row within the party, after the Labour leader appeared to show his support for an antisemitic mural in 2012. | Senior Labour figures have defended Jeremy Corbyn over his response to the antisemitism row within the party, after the Labour leader appeared to show his support for an antisemitic mural in 2012. |
| The deputy leader, Tom Watson, and Labour’s Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, both appeared on the Sunday morning politics TV programmes to condemn the mural Corbyn backed on free speech grounds in 2012. | The deputy leader, Tom Watson, and Labour’s Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, both appeared on the Sunday morning politics TV programmes to condemn the mural Corbyn backed on free speech grounds in 2012. |
| “I’m very, very sorry that people feel hurt by this and that’s why I think it’s right that Jeremy has expressed regret for it,” Watson told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show. Starmer told ITV’s Peston on Sunday that the image, which was painted on a wall in east London and depicted noted antisemitic tropes, was “grotesque and disgusting”. | “I’m very, very sorry that people feel hurt by this and that’s why I think it’s right that Jeremy has expressed regret for it,” Watson told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show. Starmer told ITV’s Peston on Sunday that the image, which was painted on a wall in east London and depicted noted antisemitic tropes, was “grotesque and disgusting”. |
| Corbyn defended Mear One, the artist who painted the mural, after he posted on Facebook that it was to be scrubbed. Corbyn wrote: “Why? You are in good company. Rockerfeller [sic] destroyed Diego Viera’s [sic] mural because it includes a picture of Lenin.” | |
| Corbyn was criticised after an image of the exchange surfaced and his office put out a statement on Friday saying he had reacted to “concerns about the removal of public art on the grounds of freedom of speech”. It added that the mural was “offensive, used antisemitic imagery, which has no place in our society, and it is right that it was removed”. | Corbyn was criticised after an image of the exchange surfaced and his office put out a statement on Friday saying he had reacted to “concerns about the removal of public art on the grounds of freedom of speech”. It added that the mural was “offensive, used antisemitic imagery, which has no place in our society, and it is right that it was removed”. |
| A later statement from Corbyn added: “I sincerely regret that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on.” | A later statement from Corbyn added: “I sincerely regret that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on.” |
| Luciana Berger, a Labour MP who had demanded an explanation from Corbyn, said his response was wholly inadequate. She added: “It fails to understand on any level the hurt and anguish felt about antisemitism.” | Luciana Berger, a Labour MP who had demanded an explanation from Corbyn, said his response was wholly inadequate. She added: “It fails to understand on any level the hurt and anguish felt about antisemitism.” |
| But Watson defended Corbyn on Sunday, saying he had expressed deep regret and apologised. Corbyn’s statements voiced regret, but offered no apology. | But Watson defended Corbyn on Sunday, saying he had expressed deep regret and apologised. Corbyn’s statements voiced regret, but offered no apology. |
| Watson added: “I’m very, very sorry that people feel hurt by this and that’s why I think it’s right that Jeremy has expressed regret for it. He said that he didn’t see the mural, he was talking about free expression and I think now that he has seen the mural, he’s right to say that it was right not just to be removed but that he expresses deep regret for the offence caused by the mural.” | Watson added: “I’m very, very sorry that people feel hurt by this and that’s why I think it’s right that Jeremy has expressed regret for it. He said that he didn’t see the mural, he was talking about free expression and I think now that he has seen the mural, he’s right to say that it was right not just to be removed but that he expresses deep regret for the offence caused by the mural.” |
| Shortly afterwards, Starmer said the image was “antisemitic and we need to be absolutely clear about that”. | Shortly afterwards, Starmer said the image was “antisemitic and we need to be absolutely clear about that”. |
| He added: “The most important thing is that the Labour party keeps on saying that antisemitism has no place in our party, in our communities or in our society, and we’ve got to have zero tolerance. And ‘zero tolerance’ has got to be more than two words. It’s got to dictate everything the Labour party does in relation to antisemitism.” | He added: “The most important thing is that the Labour party keeps on saying that antisemitism has no place in our party, in our communities or in our society, and we’ve got to have zero tolerance. And ‘zero tolerance’ has got to be more than two words. It’s got to dictate everything the Labour party does in relation to antisemitism.” |
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