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| I'm ashamed at the way my party is offending Jews, says Labour MP | I'm ashamed at the way my party is offending Jews, says Labour MP |
| (2 months later) | |
| The second Labour MP to face a disciplinary inquiry by the party after condemning its antisemitism policy says he is “shocked and ashamed” at the impact of the wider row on the Jewish community. | The second Labour MP to face a disciplinary inquiry by the party after condemning its antisemitism policy says he is “shocked and ashamed” at the impact of the wider row on the Jewish community. |
| Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North, has also denied swearing at Ian Lavery, Labour’s campaigns co-ordinator, during a discussion in the Commons about the policy just before the parliamentary recess. | Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North, has also denied swearing at Ian Lavery, Labour’s campaigns co-ordinator, during a discussion in the Commons about the policy just before the parliamentary recess. |
| Austin subsequently received a letter from the party’s head office informing him that he was being investigated, prompting disquiet from several other MPs. | Austin subsequently received a letter from the party’s head office informing him that he was being investigated, prompting disquiet from several other MPs. |
| It followed an identical letter sent to Margaret Hodge, who was also told that she faced disciplinary action for abusive conduct, having called Corbyn a “racist and antisemite”. | It followed an identical letter sent to Margaret Hodge, who was also told that she faced disciplinary action for abusive conduct, having called Corbyn a “racist and antisemite”. |
| In a comment piece for the Guardian, Austin – who says he remains unsure precisely what he is accused of – denied improper conduct: “I’ve been told I am being investigated by the party for my conduct. But did I scream swearwords of abuse, as has been alleged? No, I did not.” | In a comment piece for the Guardian, Austin – who says he remains unsure precisely what he is accused of – denied improper conduct: “I’ve been told I am being investigated by the party for my conduct. But did I scream swearwords of abuse, as has been alleged? No, I did not.” |
| Austin also rejected the idea he was motivated in his comments on the antisemitism policy by his longstanding criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, calling the idea “grotesque”. | Austin also rejected the idea he was motivated in his comments on the antisemitism policy by his longstanding criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, calling the idea “grotesque”. |
| “Everyone knows that he was never my choice to lead our party, but do people really think I am so worried about his plans to nationalise the railways that I’d invent all this?” Austin wrote. | “Everyone knows that he was never my choice to lead our party, but do people really think I am so worried about his plans to nationalise the railways that I’d invent all this?” Austin wrote. |
| The conflicts are among wider tensions over the decision by Labour’s national executive committee not to have the party’s code of conduct contain the full text defining antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). | The conflicts are among wider tensions over the decision by Labour’s national executive committee not to have the party’s code of conduct contain the full text defining antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). |
| In unprecedented joint front-page editorials on Thursday, the three biggest Jewish newspapers in Britain said a Corbyn government would pose an “existential threat” to Jewish life in the UK. | In unprecedented joint front-page editorials on Thursday, the three biggest Jewish newspapers in Britain said a Corbyn government would pose an “existential threat” to Jewish life in the UK. |
| The NEC adopted the definition given by the IHRA but not all the 11 accompanying examples, arguing that under one of them legitimate criticism of Israel could be deemed antisemitic. The decision remains under review. | The NEC adopted the definition given by the IHRA but not all the 11 accompanying examples, arguing that under one of them legitimate criticism of Israel could be deemed antisemitic. The decision remains under review. |
| The Board of Deputies of British Jews yesterday accused Corbyn of leading Labour into a “dark place of ugly conspiracy theories”. | The Board of Deputies of British Jews yesterday accused Corbyn of leading Labour into a “dark place of ugly conspiracy theories”. |
| Marie van der Zyl, the board’s president, said in a statement: “Even by Labour’s low standards, the last few days have been utterly shameful. In 2018 Labour is not only a party with extravagant levels of tolerance for antisemitism but one which deliberately obstructs measures to counter hatred and punishes those who speak out against it.” | Marie van der Zyl, the board’s president, said in a statement: “Even by Labour’s low standards, the last few days have been utterly shameful. In 2018 Labour is not only a party with extravagant levels of tolerance for antisemitism but one which deliberately obstructs measures to counter hatred and punishes those who speak out against it.” |
| A Labour spokesperson said: “Jeremy Corbyn has made clear he is a militant opponent of antisemitism and is absolutely committed to tackling it. We are fully committed to the support, defence and celebration of the Jewish community and its organisations ... | A Labour spokesperson said: “Jeremy Corbyn has made clear he is a militant opponent of antisemitism and is absolutely committed to tackling it. We are fully committed to the support, defence and celebration of the Jewish community and its organisations ... |
| “We understand the strong concerns raised in the Jewish community and are seeking to engage with communal organisations to build trust and confidence in our party. We know there is a huge amount of work to do.” | “We understand the strong concerns raised in the Jewish community and are seeking to engage with communal organisations to build trust and confidence in our party. We know there is a huge amount of work to do.” |
| Austin, whose adoptive parents were Czech Jewish refugees, said he was “shocked and ashamed that a party that has had such a proud tradition of fighting racism has caused huge offence and distress to the Jewish community”. | Austin, whose adoptive parents were Czech Jewish refugees, said he was “shocked and ashamed that a party that has had such a proud tradition of fighting racism has caused huge offence and distress to the Jewish community”. |
| This is a terrible and miserable state of affairs for everyone | This is a terrible and miserable state of affairs for everyone |
| In the article, Austin describes how his father, aged 10, was woken one night in March 1939 by German troops marching into his home city of Ostrava, in what was then Czechoslovakia. | In the article, Austin describes how his father, aged 10, was woken one night in March 1939 by German troops marching into his home city of Ostrava, in what was then Czechoslovakia. |
| “A few days later, his mother and teenage sisters waved him off on a train as he escaped to England,” Austin wrote. “He never saw them again. Rounded up and sent first to a ghetto, they were murdered in Treblinka on 5 October 1942.” | “A few days later, his mother and teenage sisters waved him off on a train as he escaped to England,” Austin wrote. “He never saw them again. Rounded up and sent first to a ghetto, they were murdered in Treblinka on 5 October 1942.” |
| He added: “I grew up listening to my dad telling me about the Holocaust and about the evils of racism. That motivated me to join the Labour party as a teenager.” | He added: “I grew up listening to my dad telling me about the Holocaust and about the evils of racism. That motivated me to join the Labour party as a teenager.” |
| The disciplinary moves against Austin prompted strong criticism from some other backbench Labour MPs. | The disciplinary moves against Austin prompted strong criticism from some other backbench Labour MPs. |
| Wes Streeting, the Ilford North MP, told the Guardian: “The problem we have is that passions are running high, people are very upset that antisemitism is being allowed to fester – with active indifference to concerns from the Jewish community – and now two MPs who have been most prominent in calling it out are subject to disciplinary action. | Wes Streeting, the Ilford North MP, told the Guardian: “The problem we have is that passions are running high, people are very upset that antisemitism is being allowed to fester – with active indifference to concerns from the Jewish community – and now two MPs who have been most prominent in calling it out are subject to disciplinary action. |
| “In a normal, functioning, political party, this would have been resolved informally and effectively by the chief whip. Instead we have the party charging in like a bull in a china shop, when they should be focusing instead on repairing the enormous damage done by the NEC’s most recent decision. This is a terrible and miserable state of affairs for everyone.” | “In a normal, functioning, political party, this would have been resolved informally and effectively by the chief whip. Instead we have the party charging in like a bull in a china shop, when they should be focusing instead on repairing the enormous damage done by the NEC’s most recent decision. This is a terrible and miserable state of affairs for everyone.” |
| Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, said he hoped Austin’s case could be resolved with “an amicable outcome”; and a member of Corbyn’s front bench believed that the NEC decision should be overturned. | Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, said he hoped Austin’s case could be resolved with “an amicable outcome”; and a member of Corbyn’s front bench believed that the NEC decision should be overturned. |
| “I’m not going to condemn Ian Austin – I wasn’t there, I didn’t see what happened,” Burgon told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend. “What we need to ensure is the people whom disciplinary action is taken against are the small number in the party who have said or done antisemitic things, not those who have strong opinions about things we should all have strong opinions about. What we need – and it’s the bottom line for me – is to arrive at a position which the Jewish community are comfortable with.” | “I’m not going to condemn Ian Austin – I wasn’t there, I didn’t see what happened,” Burgon told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend. “What we need to ensure is the people whom disciplinary action is taken against are the small number in the party who have said or done antisemitic things, not those who have strong opinions about things we should all have strong opinions about. What we need – and it’s the bottom line for me – is to arrive at a position which the Jewish community are comfortable with.” |
| Another Labour MP, who asked to not be named, said colleagues who had witnessed the interaction with Lavery “made it clear that [Austin] was in no way aggressive or abusive”. | Another Labour MP, who asked to not be named, said colleagues who had witnessed the interaction with Lavery “made it clear that [Austin] was in no way aggressive or abusive”. |
| They said: “I would defend to the death Ian’s right to speak truth to power within our party, and I would have this advice to our party leadership: when you’re in a hole, stop digging. Adopt the IHRA definition in its entirety, and stop the score-settling with hardworking MPs who are just standing up for what they believe in.” | They said: “I would defend to the death Ian’s right to speak truth to power within our party, and I would have this advice to our party leadership: when you’re in a hole, stop digging. Adopt the IHRA definition in its entirety, and stop the score-settling with hardworking MPs who are just standing up for what they believe in.” |
| Other MPs expressed support for Austin on Twitter, including Siobhain McDoagh, Peter Kyle and Pat McFadden. | Other MPs expressed support for Austin on Twitter, including Siobhain McDoagh, Peter Kyle and Pat McFadden. |
| The Labour statement on Sunday continued: “Jeremy Corbyn asked Labour’s new general secretary, Jennie Formby, to make speeding up and strengthening our disciplinary procedures against antisemitism her top priority and to develop a comprehensive programme of political education to increase understanding of antisemitism and drive it out of our movement. | The Labour statement on Sunday continued: “Jeremy Corbyn asked Labour’s new general secretary, Jennie Formby, to make speeding up and strengthening our disciplinary procedures against antisemitism her top priority and to develop a comprehensive programme of political education to increase understanding of antisemitism and drive it out of our movement. |
| “The incidents referred to (in the Board of Deputies statement) were dealt with swiftly as soon as they were brought to our attention.” | “The incidents referred to (in the Board of Deputies statement) were dealt with swiftly as soon as they were brought to our attention.” |
| Earlier, a party spokesman defended the action to investigate allegations of abusive behaviour among its members. “The Labour party takes all complaints extremely seriously,” he said. “These are fully investigated in line with party rules and procedures.” | Earlier, a party spokesman defended the action to investigate allegations of abusive behaviour among its members. “The Labour party takes all complaints extremely seriously,” he said. “These are fully investigated in line with party rules and procedures.” |
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