Back Corbyn or go, insists McCluskey
UNITE union leader Len McCluskey has voiced “disgust” at backbench Labour critics of Jeremy Corbyn, raising the prospect that those who have attacked him over issues like anti-Semitism could face mandatory reselection.
Mr McCluskey was in turn accused of undermining the Labour leader’s efforts to tackle anti-Semitism, which saw him meet leaders of the Jewish community on Tuesday night.
The attempt to smooth relations with the community backfired for Mr Corbyn as leaders of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) accused him of failing to back his words with action.
Board of Deputies president Jonathan Arkush and JLC chair Jonathan Goldstein said “a deep cultural change” was needed within Labour to rebuild trust.
Meanwhile, dozens of Labour MPs marched in support of Jewish colleague Ruth Smeeth as she prepared to give evidence at the disciplinary hearing of a suspended party member accused of antiSemitism. They were met by a small group of protesters carrying placards and chanting their support for activist Marc Wadsworth, who was suspended after launching a verbal attack on Ms Smeeth at the launch of a party report into anti-Semitism.
Mr McCluskey accused MPs on Labour’s centrist wing of “working overtime trying to present the Labour Party as a morass of misogyny, anti-Semitism and bullying”.
While stressing his own opposition to anti-Semitism, he accused “promiscuous critics” like MPs Chris Leslie, Neil Coyle, John Woodcock, Wes Streeting and Ian Austin of “polluting” the leader’s efforts to tackle the problem.
“I look with disgust at the behaviour of the Corbyn-hater MPs who join forces with the most reactionary elements of the media establishment and I understand why there is a growing demand for mandatory reselection,” wrote Mr McCluskey.
As she arrived at the disciplinary hearing in Westminster, Ms Smeeth was met by protesters chanting “reinstate Marc Wadsworth”.
One of the MPs who joined her, Jess Phillips, said they were “making sure she isn’t walking into a protest on her own”.
Ahead of the hearing, Mr Wadsworth told reporters: “I’m confident, as I’m not guilty. Based on the facts, this hearing, if it’s fair, I will be exonerated.”
Mr Corbyn described Tuesday’s talks as “positive and constructive”.
But in a joint article in the Evening Standard, Mr Arkush and Mr Goldstein said they had a “sinking feeling” as it became clear that, while the Labour leader seemed “genuinely troubled” by anti-Semitism, he was not going to agree to any of the measures they proposed to deal with it.
Among the proposals put forward by the community leaders was a fixed timetable for dealing with outstanding cases of antiSemitism and expediting long-standing cases like that of Ken Livingstone.