Labour MPs share disturbing stories of racial slurs

LABOUR MPS urged their party to deal with “corrosive” anti-Semitic slurs from members after sharing their personal stories of abuse.

Luciana Berger, the Liverpool Wavertree MP, said Labour must expel those with anti-Semitic views and criticised people who attacked her for speaking out on the issue but also claim to be both party members and online supporters of the #JC4PM campaign, which backs Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister.

A standing ovation, in defiance of parliamentary convention, followed a speech by Ruth Smeeth, in which the Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North read some of the abuse aimed at her and insisted: “Enough really is enough.”

Labour former Minister Dame Margaret Hodge was applauded after a speech in which she said it felt as if her party has “given permission for anti-Semitism to go unchallenged”, adding: “AntiSemitism is making me an outsider in my Labour Party.”

John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, said he had been targeted by campaign group Momentum for showing solidarity with Jewish Labour members. His wife had been “threatened with rape” by a “leftist anti-Semite”, he said.

Ms Berger and other MPs backed calls to expel Ken Livingstone from the Party, with former Minister Ian Austin saying the exLondon mayor had been “comparing, claiming that Hitler was a Zionist”.

Mr Corbyn was in the Commons for much of the debate, with Communities Secretary Sajid Javid accusing the Labour leader of a “deeply worrying lack of leadership and moral clarity” on anti-Semitism.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott later said “one anti-Semite in the Labour Party is one too many”, adding “nothing is gained” by accusing Mr Corbyn of being an anti-Semite.