Red Len in storm over ‘count your gold’ jibe at Mandelson
Union boss is accused of anti-Semitism
Hard-left union boss len McCluskey was caught in an anti-Semitism storm yesterday after he told Peter Mandelson to go away and ‘count his gold’.
The Unite general secretary was accused of using a ‘wellworn trope’ over the former labour spin doctor and MP, whose father is Jewish.
Mr McCluskey was forced to apologise on twitter for his remarks, which he made in an interview for BBC2’s Newsnight when he was asked about lord Mandelson’s recent praise of labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
‘I stopped listening to what Peter Mandelson said many, many years ago,’ he said. ‘I would suggest that Peter just goes into a room and counts his gold and not worry about what’s happening in the labour Party. leave that to those of us that are interested in ordinary working people.’
A Unite spokesman initially said: ‘the suggestion of any antiSemitic meaning to the commentary would be ludicrous.’
But following an outcry, Mr McCluskey tweeted: ‘Before this gets out of hand, let me say language is important and I apologise to Peter Mandelson and anyone else if mine has caused hurt.’
Jewish labour MP dame Margaret Hodge said: ‘Why McCluskey uses tropes that many would consider anti-Semitic on BBC Newsnight is a question only he can answer. regardless, he doesn’t get to obfuscate and dictate to us what is and is not anti- Semitic when called out.
'The ignorance with which these tropes are used by McCluskey and others shows just how pervasive and unchallenged anti-Semitism is on the hard left.’
Euan Philipps, of labour against anti-Semitism, said: ‘It is unsurprising but still shocking to hear one of the most senior figures in the British labour movement seemingly reveal such a poisonous view. We look forward to Mr McCluskey’s forthcoming retirement as general secretary of the Unite union.’
The national chairman of Jewish labour, Mike Katz, tweeted: ‘Stay classy, len. Pretty disgusted by his language on Newsnight.
‘But I’d guess he’s best placed to know what’s anti-Semitic. Just like he’s got more experience of winning general elections than Mandelson.’
Earlier this month Unite, labour’s biggest donor, announced it was reducing its affiliation to the party by about 10 per cent. Mr McCluskey warned Sir Keir he must represent ‘ordinary working people’. lord Mandelson was labour communications director under Neil Kinnock until he became MP for Hartlepool in 1992. He then served in the cabinets of both tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Raised in north london, his paternal grandfather Norman Mandelson was the founder and president of the Harrow United Synagogue.
He told the Jewish Chronicle in 2010 that he was ‘dimly aware of my refracted Jewishness’ when growing up, although his father tony was an atheist. lord Mandelson’s maternal grandfather was labour politician Herbert Morrison, who held a number of Cabinet roles.