Labour groups challenge Starmer on Corbyn suspension
SIR KEIR Starmer has said he is “determined” to honour from his pledge to rid his party of the scourge of antisemitism in the midst of a concerted attempt by supporters of Jeremy Corbyn to openly challenge the decision to suspend the former leader.
His remarks came as Labour members still loyal to Mr Corbyn have attempted to get motions passed at local party meetings across the country condemning his suspension as a “politically motivated attack on the left”.
At online meetings organised by groups such Labour Against The Witch-hunt, Jewish Voice For Labour and Labour Left Alliance, leading proCorbyn activists have given speeches openly challenging the findings of the EHRC report and calling for the ex-leader to be reinstated.
Mr Corbyn is yet to respond or offer any apology for his statement issued on October 29 in which he claimed the issue of antisemitism in Labour had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”. It was this statement that trigged disciplinary action by the party.
Speaking on Monday, Sir Keir told LBC presenter Nick Ferrari he would continue “dealing with” not only those Labour members who were proven to be antisemitic — but also those who “pretend it is exaggerated, it doesn’t really exist.”
He added: “Both of those things have to be tackled, and that is what we are determined to do in light of the Commission’s report… I am not shying away.”
A report last weekend had claimed Baroness Shami Chakrabarti and Unite’s legal chief Howard Beckett were helping the former leader to develop his strategy in challenging the suspension.
Sir Keir said he would “talk” to Baroness Chakrabarti when he next saw her.
On Tuesday it emerged that the party had launched an investigation into comments made by Wirral councillor Jo Bird after the JC revealed she had spoken at a meeting left-wing activists protesting over the decision to suspend Mr Corbyn and had claimed racism against Jewish communities was deemed more “worthy of resources” than other ethnic minorities.
Cllr Bird – who has been suspended on two previous occasions for comments relating to antisemitism – had told last week’s meeting of the ‘Don’t Leave, Organise’ group: “As a Jew, I worry about racism against Jewish people.
“I also worry about privileging the racism faced by Jewish communities in this country as more worthy of resources than other forms of discrimination such as against black people, Palestinians, Muslims and refugees.
“Abuses of power are measured in detentions, deportations and deaths. Privileging one group over another group is divisive. It’s bad for the many, as well as bad for the Jews.”
There is an attempt to ‘break’ Corbyn ‘as a man’