Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
STARMER BLOCKS CORBYN RETURN
Ex-leader to sit as independent
KEIR Starmer has refused to let Jeremy Corbyn return to being a Labour MP, claiming his predecessor had set back the party’s work on tackling anti-semitism.
Mr Corbyn had his membership reinstated on Tuesday as his suspension from the party was lifted.
But yesterday Labour leader Mr Starmer said he would not allow him to rejoin the Parliamentary Labour Party, which means he will sit as an independent MP in the Commons.
He said his decision was based on the former Labour leader’s response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report on anti-semitism, which led to his suspension.
Mr Starmer said it had “undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party’s ability to tackle antiSemitism”. He added: “In those circumstances, I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn. I will keep this situation under review.”
A spokesman did not set out what the criteria would be for restoring the whip.
Board of Deputies of BACKING Chief of Board of Deputies of British
Jews Marie van der Zyl
British Jews president Marie van der Zyl said Mr Starmer had made the “appropriate leadership decision”. The Cam Campaign Against AntiSemitism warned Mr Starmer to “get a grip” of the party, claimin claiming that withholding the wh whip from Mr Corbyn is “offering the Jewish community crum crumbs”.
B But John Mcdonnell, w who served as Shadow C Chancellor under Mr C o rb y n , s a i d Mr
Starmer’s decision was “just plain wrong” and would cause “more division and disunity in the party”.
Momentun chairman Andrew Scattergood dubbed the decision a “blatant political attack on the left”.
Unite chief Len Mccluskey said: “The continued persecution of Jeremy Corbyn... risks destroying the unity and integrity of the Party. I urge Keir Starmer in the strongest terms to pull back from the brink.”