Battle of the Braggs
Corbynista musician Billy sparks fury with criticism of Jews – as Melvyn hits out at Labour’s anti-Semitism
ONE is a folksy Left-wing singer, while the other is a veteran broadcaster, author and parliamentarian.
Although they share the same name, Billy Bragg and Lord Melvyn Bragg couldn’t be more different.
So it should come as no surprise that they were on opposite sides of Labour’s anti-Semitism storm yesterday after Jeremy Corbyn was branded an ‘existential threat’ to the Jewish community.
Corbynista singer-songwriter Mr Bragg, 60, fuelled the row as he claimed Jews had ‘work to do’ to rebuild trust with the party.
In a series of provocative tweets, he accused the Jewish community of ‘coming out with accusations that are out of all proportion’.
But arts presenter Lord Bragg, 78, pointed the finger at the Labour leader who he said was ‘feeble’ in tackling the issue.
The two Braggs, who are unrelated, spoke out after Britain’s three leading Jewish newspapers published a joint front page message warning that a Corbyn government would pose an ‘existential threat to Jewish life’.
Under the headline ‘United We Stand’, The Jewish Chronicle, Jewish Telegraph and Jewish News described Labour’s refusal to adopt in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antiSemitism as ‘sinister’.
They urged Labour MPs to back a motion to be debated by the parliamentary party in September to accept the IHRA definition in full, including its list of examples of anti-Semitic behaviour.
Mr Bragg, who in April lectured bankers on capitalism’s evils and lives in a £1.5million home in Burton Bradstock, Dorset, waded in as he criticised the three newspapers, which he accused of ‘pouring petrol on the fire’.
He tweeted: ‘Austria is forcing Jews to register, the Alt-Right are chanting “Jews will not replace us” but Labour pose an “existential threat”’ to British Jews? How are we supposed to conduct a reasoned debate about anti-Semitism in such a febrile atmosphere?’
He added: ‘We have to build trust between Labour and the Jewish community and this does not help to achieve that. It’s pouring petrol on the fire.’ Asked if he meant Jews had work to do, he replied:
‘Disgrace to the party’
‘If they want to build trust, I do yeah. Instead they make things difficult by coming out with accusations that are out of all proportion. I’m afraid it takes two to tango. “I’m going to keep attacking you until you trust me” isn’t a viable tactic.’
In a letter to The Times, meanwhile, Lord Bragg said he did not believe Mr Corbyn was a racist, but said he had failed to tackle antiSemitism in the party effectively.
‘The virus of anti-Semitism is growing in the UK and Corbyn is in a strong position to stamp it out,’ said the former ITV South Bank Show presenter.
‘Jeremy Corbyn’s feebleness on this matter is a disgrace to the Labour Party and shames its traditional creed of tolerance.’
Pressure is growing on Mr Corbyn to reconsider his position on anti-Semitism, after two senior members of his shadow cabinet suggested the party’s new code of conduct should be rewritten.
Shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner told Jewish News: ‘It would have been better for the party to adopt the IHRA definition in full with all the examples and then to add all the clauses necessary to make it enforceable rather than to appear to cavil and weaken the definition.’
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, called on the party to ‘reconsider’ its definition, adding: ‘We need to rebuild trust with the Jewish community, and the place to start is by accepting a definition which is broadly accepted internationally.’
Cherie Blair’s stepmother last night quit Labour after complaining she had been bullied because of her links to Tony Blair.
Steph Booth, a town councillor in Todmorden, Yorkshire, said she will now sit as an Independent.
In her letter of resignation, she wrote: ‘The party has been taken over by the hard-Left. Decent individuals who voice an alternative view are at best referred to as “Blairites”, though increasingly they are being bullied and hounded out of the party.’