Corbyn under pressure over anti-semitism row

JEREMY Corbyn is facing pressure to act after a member of the party’s ruling body was recorded making “disgusting” comments about Jews.

Peter Willsman called some members of the Jewish community “Trump fanatics” and suggested they were “making up” problems about anti-Semitism in the party.

Jewish leaders called for Labour to expel the National Executive Committee (NEC) member and raised questions about whether the party leader had been present at the meeting where the comments were made.

Labour former minister Yvette Cooper said Mr Willsman’s remarks were “appalling” and urged Mr Corbyn to ask him to stand down as a candidate in internal party elections.

She told BBC Radio 4’s The World At One programme: “We do need action and also, what would be really helpful is, given that we are in an election for the NEC at the moment, I think it would be very helpful if Jeremy Corbyn could ask Pete Willsman to stand down from those elections because I think that would actually help us make clear that the Labour Party is going to take seriously antiSemitism in future.”

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson described the NEC member as a “loud-mouthed bully”, while Jewish Labour Movement chairwoman Luciana Berger said the comments were “sickening”.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, made up of almost 300 deputies directly elected by synagogues and community organisations, said Labour had let Mr Willsman off lightly by not taking disciplinary action against him.

President Marie van der Zyl questioned whether Mr Corbyn and party general secretary Jennie Formby had witnessed the outburst at a meeting of the NEC.

And she pointed to the swift move to take disciplinary action against Labour MPs Dame Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin over their reaction to the handling of anti-Semitism in the party.

In a series of tweets, she said: “Now Peter Willsman’s disgusting rant against Jewish community and rabbis has been made public by @JewishChron, and what seems to be lying exposed about what he did and didn’t say, he should be summarily expelled.

“Was Jennie Formby there to hear what was said? If yes, why did she let Willsman off so lightly?

“Why has it been so easy to clear Willsman after his slurs against the Jewish community, but anti-racist MPs @MargaretHodge and @ IanAustinMP are still being put through the ringer (sic)?

“Was Jeremy Corbyn there to hear Willsman? If so, what form did his professed ‘militant opposition’ to anti-Semitism take when he heard it?”

Mr Willsman said he “deeply apologised” for any offence caused by the comments, but insisted that not all of what he said had been “accurately reported”.

In the clip acquired by the Jewish Chronicle, Mr Willsman can be heard saying with a raised voice: “Some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump, they are Trump fanatics and all the rest of it.

“So I think we should ask the 70 rabbis ‘Where is your evidence of severe and widespread anti-Semitism in this party?”’

Labour said it did not comment on individual cases.