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| Corbyn urged to act over abuse of MPs who went to antisemitism protest | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Leaders of the Jewish organisations that organised Monday night’s protest against antisemitism in the Labour party have told Jeremy Corbyn that until he intervenes to stop the abuse of the MPs and peers who attended it, they will not accept his invitation to meet them. | |
| Several of the MPs who went to the meeting are being attacked on social media. | |
| Jonathan Arkush and Jonathan Goldstein, the leaders of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, are challenging Corbyn to “be seen and heard” leading the work to tackle antisemitism in the party. | |
| “Those Labour party members and Labour-supporting blogs pushing the abuse are largely doing so in your name. They need to hear you say, publicly and your own voice that we had every right to protest about antisemitism, and that Labour MPs had every right to support us … that anyone directing abused, intimidation or threats at those of us who oppose antisemitism is damaging your efforts to eliminate it.” | |
| David Lammy, the Tottenham MP who was at Monday night’s protest to support Jewish constituents but did not speak, may now face a challenge from his constituency party. Tottenham Labour Party Members Only Facebook page is carrying posts demanding that he is deselected. | |
| Some of his party members claim Lammy has “stabbed them in the back” by attending the demonstration, which they regard as an anti-Corbyn rally. One wrote that the protest was focused on Corbyn’s leadership, not antisemitism, while another said they wanted a candidate in the next election “who wants Labour to win”. | Some of his party members claim Lammy has “stabbed them in the back” by attending the demonstration, which they regard as an anti-Corbyn rally. One wrote that the protest was focused on Corbyn’s leadership, not antisemitism, while another said they wanted a candidate in the next election “who wants Labour to win”. |
| Labour sources protested that the MP was a longstanding opponent of all forms of racism. | Labour sources protested that the MP was a longstanding opponent of all forms of racism. |
| “David has spent the last two decades standing up to racism and standing up for minority communities both in parliament and outside parliament. His record speaks for itself. He is a hugely popular MP as demonstrated at the 2017 general election where he secured over 80% of the vote.” | “David has spent the last two decades standing up to racism and standing up for minority communities both in parliament and outside parliament. His record speaks for itself. He is a hugely popular MP as demonstrated at the 2017 general election where he secured over 80% of the vote.” |
| Other MPs who were among the dozen or so who attended the protest are being abused on their social media feeds. The Skwawkbox, which claims to be one of “one the most influential of the ‘new left media’” emailed several MPs, including John Woodcock, Ian Austin and Wes Streeting, challenging them to prove they opposed all racism in a way that implied their opposition to antisemitism was only a way of attacking the party leadership. | |
| One email attacking Stella Creasy demanded evidence of “Ms Creasy publicly denouncing Islamophobia, publicly denouncing racism towards black people or participating in demonstrations against Islamophobia and racism towards black and other ethnic groups.” Creasy says she is now having to deal with “organised abuse” at a local level. | |
| Goldstein and Arkush, describing two years of cumulative anger and despair “at repeated, numerous cases of antisemitism”, have set out a list of demands for party reform, including a quicker and clearer approach to disciplinary cases, a ban on appearing on the same platform as suspended members – who include Ken Livingstone and the former vice-chair of Momentum, Jackie Walker – and on providing them with a platform. Anyone breaching the rule would themselves be suspended and, if an MP, lose the party whip. | |
| The letter falls short of naming those they want suspended, although Arkush specified Livingstone and Walker on Tuesday. | |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s World at One at lunchtime, the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said he was “appalled and heartbroken” that many Jewish people didn’t feel the party was for them. | |
| “I think the Labour party needs to do much more. It’s the Labour party’s responsibility. | |
| “Jeremy is the leader but it’s the Labour party’s responsibility to take decisive, swift action against those members of our party against whom allegations have been made.” | |
| As Jennie Formby, the new general secretary of the party, prepares to start work after Easter, Labour has acknowledged there are at least 70 allegations of antisemitism waiting to be resolved. But other sources doubt that the party’s organisation knows for sure how many there are. | As Jennie Formby, the new general secretary of the party, prepares to start work after Easter, Labour has acknowledged there are at least 70 allegations of antisemitism waiting to be resolved. But other sources doubt that the party’s organisation knows for sure how many there are. |
| After an emotional meeting of the shadow cabinet on Tuesday, Jeremy Corbyn made enacting the recommendations of the Chakrabarti report – published in June 2016 – Formby’s priority. | After an emotional meeting of the shadow cabinet on Tuesday, Jeremy Corbyn made enacting the recommendations of the Chakrabarti report – published in June 2016 – Formby’s priority. |
| That will involve considerable party reorganisation, including recruiting special in-house legal staff capable of managing a complaints procedure in an effective and legally correct manner. | That will involve considerable party reorganisation, including recruiting special in-house legal staff capable of managing a complaints procedure in an effective and legally correct manner. |
| Many MPs are still shocked by the strength of feeling demonstrated on Monday night against Labour’s failure to act on antisemitic conduct. Many of them want it to be a turning point for the party and the Corbyn leadership. Some believe it could be a potent symbol of the kind of government that an incoming Labour party would run – reminiscent of Tony Blair rewriting clause Four as a token of his determination to run a centre-left government. | |
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