Labour vows to examine MPS’ ‘unlawful acts’
Starmer will set up disciplinary process to investigate evidence of individuals’ anti-semitism
‘Sir Keir Starmer now has a long list of reforms to make so that those who put Britain’s Jews in fear for their future can at last be held to account for their deeds’
LABOUR last night confirmed that it would consider anti- Semitism complaints against a number of its own MPS, including its deputy leader.
It came after Sir Keir Starmer pledged to set up an independent disciplinary process following the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) report that found Labour responsible for “unlawful acts”.
In response to the report, the Campaign Against Anti- Semitism (CAA), which formally referred the Labour Party to the EHRC two years ago, submitted complaints against 15 sitting Labour MPS. The complaints include accusations of “anti-semitic discourse” by both the former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott and Rebecca LongBailey, the former shadow education secretary, who was sacked by Sir Keir in June during an anti-semitism row.
Gideon Falter, chief executive of the CAA, said: “Sir Keir Starmer now has a long list of reforms to make, including establishing an independent disciplinary process so that those who put Britain’s Jews in fear for their future in this country can at last be held to account for their deeds.”
Earlier this week The Daily Telegraph revealed that the charity would resubmit existing complaints against Sir Keir’s predecessor and other Labour MPS. A Labour source told The Telegraph that the complaints would be considered and taken seriously, but added that they could not comment on individual cases.
In a letter to Sir Keir, the charity references an incident of “anti-semitic discourse” by Angela Rayner, the deputy
Labour leader, following an article she published in the Morning Star and on the official website of Unison North West in January 2015, entitled: “Inside the Factory of Genocide”.
It points out t hat, where s he describes a visit to Auschwitz, she referenced Norman Finkelstein’s controversial work The Holocaust Industry, which she called “seminal”. Ms Rayner has since said that she regretted the choice of quote and apologised for the “genuine misunderstanding”.
The letter also cites a number of incidents with Ms Abbott, the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, which, they say, amounted to anti-semitic discourse. Among the four incidents included was an interview on The Andrew Marr Show in May 2016.
During the interview Ms Abbott said: “It’s a smear to say that Labour has a problem with anti-semitism. It is something like a smear against ordinary party members.”
Meanwhile the single incident which involves Ms Long-bailey took place on June 25 this year, when she shared an article on Twitter which featured an interview with actress Maxine Peake, during the course of which Ms Peake was reported to have said: “Systemic racism is a global issue. The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services.”
Ms Long-bailey commented: “Maxine Peake is an absolute diamond.”
The CAA said her claim “that Israel is ultimately responsible for the racist killi ng of George Floyd by American police” was “reminiscent of repeated libels against the Jewish people…”.
It added that by sharing the article Ms Long-bailey “was disseminating material which was making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective”.
The charity, which helped trigger the 18-month investigation into Labour, said it had given the party “six months to conduct transparent investigations and finally deliver justice for the Jewish community”.
Mr Corbyn, Ms Abbott and Ms LongBailey have all denied committing acts of anti-semitism.