Fury as MP faces action after calling Corbyn an anti-Semite
‘She’s a great woman’
LABOUR triggered fury among its own MPs last night after vowing that a respected party grandee would ‘face action’ for challenging Jeremy Corbyn on anti-Semitism.
Former minister Dame Margaret Hodge, whose relatives were murdered in the Holocaust, was said to have confronted the Labour leader in the Commons, branding him a ****ing anti-Semite’ and a racist.
But Mr Corbyn’s spokesman responded to the outburst yesterday saying Dame Margaret’s behaviour was ‘clearly unacceptable’ and ‘action will be taken’.
That in turn, sparked fury among moderate Labour MPs, who immediately rallied to her defence – saying Mr Corbyn’s team should be acting against those responsible for racism, not those complaining about it.
Last night, Dame Margaret – who has been an MP since 1994 and is a former chairman of the Commons public accounts committee – issued a robust defence of her actions and took aim again at Mr Corbyn, accusing him of making the Labour Party a ‘hostile environment’ for Jews. She said Labour had dealt with complaints about anti-Semitism from members in a ‘ desultory’ manner. It is yet another damaging day of headlines for Labour over the anti- Semitism issue within the party.
The original row began over Labour’s executive committee’s refusal to fully adopt a widely-accepted definition of anti-Semitism on Monday.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism is accepted internationally and even by Islington Council in Mr Corbyn’s constituency.
In a powerful piece for The Guardian, Dame Margaret rounded on Mr Corbyn and the leadership of the party, blasting them for failing to seek the endorsement of Jews on the plan. Its decision not to accept it meant that the Labour leadership ‘chose to offend Jews.’
She said ‘the party thought it knew better than the Crown Prosecution Service, the Government, the devolved administrations and local authorities.
‘It thought it knew better than 31 other countries, including Austria, France and Hungary, all of whom have adopted the internationally agreed definition in full.
‘It thought it could ignore the united voices within the Jewish community.
‘I chose to confront Jeremy directly to express my anger and outrage. I stand by my action as well as my words.’
Dame Margaret confronted Mr Corbyn in the Commons chamber on Monday night, saying: ‘ You have proved you don’t want people like me in the party.’
In a surprising intervention yesterday, Mr Corbyn’s spokesman said: ‘The behaviour [you are talking about] was clearly unacceptable under Labour party rules, which require respect among Parliamentary colleagues and not to bring the party into disrepute.’
Moderate Labour MPs immediately sprang to her defence on Twitter.
Wes Streeting, chairman of the all-party parliamentary group for British Jews, tweeted: ‘Margaret Hodge is a first class MP. She beat back the BNP in Barking.’ Labour MP John Mann said: ‘Absolutely she shouldn’t be disciplined. MPs should be outspoken. We’ve all a lot to learn from her. She’s a great woman.’
A Labour spokesman said: ‘The Labour Party is committed to eradicating antiSemitism in all its forms.’
The decision not to accept the IHRA definition drew opprobrium from Jewish groups and prompted anger among Labour MPs.
The chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis accused Labour of sending an ‘unprecedented message of contempt to the Jewish community’ following the announcement.