CORBYN’S HATEFUL NEW LOW
Labour leader tries to save close ally in vile anti-Semitism storm – only to be shamed into suspending him by 38 of his own furious MPs
A HUMILIATED Jeremy Corbyn was forced to suspend a close ally yesterday after a revolt by his MPs.
Labour had initially refused to withdraw the whip from Chris Williamson, even though he had said the party was ‘too apologetic’ about anti-Semitism. Mr Corbyn is believed to have intervened personally to block his suspension. Some 38 moderate MPs then pressed for Mr Williamson’s removal, putting their demands in a letter. Deputy leader Tom Watson also intervened, condemning the decision to only ‘investigate’ the remarks.
The mass revolt sparked a review by party general secretary Jennie Formby, who suspended Mr Williamson hours later. The move angered hard-Left supporters of Mr Corbyn, some of whom said they would quit the party.
On another calamitous day for the
Labour leader, who has already lost a string of MPs over his failure to tackle anti-Semitism:
A second recording emerged of Mr Williamson saying he had never seen an example of anti-Semitism in Labour;
Following his suspension, he was found by a camera crew outside a pub where he vowed ‘to clear his name’;
Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who branded Mr Corbyn an anti-Semite, said the party left her, as a Jew, feeling ‘more frightened than I have ever been’;
Figures revealed that trade union donations to Labour have hit the lowest levels since records began in 2001.
A former frontbencher and MP for Derby North, Mr Williamson is a longtime ally of Mr Corbyn. Just last month the Labour leader told the Derby Telegraph: ‘Chris Williamson is a very good, very effective Labour MP. He is a very
‘Shock, anger and disappointment’
strong anti-racist campaigner. He is not anti-Semitic in any way.’
MPs erupted in fury yesterday after a recording of Mr Williamson was obtained by the Yorkshire Post late on Tuesday which showed the MP at a Momentum meeting in Sheffield saying the party had been ‘ too apologetic’ about anti-Semitism.
He said: ‘The party that has done more to stand up to racism is now being demonised as a racist, bigoted party.
‘I have got to say I think our party’s response has been partly responsible for that because in my opinion ... we have backed off too much, we have given too much ground, we have been too apologetic.’
He was also shown responding to the resignations of nine Labour MPs last week, including the Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger, by singing the 1980s hit Celebration by Kool and the Gang.
Another recording acquired by the Jewish Chronicle emerged yesterday morning in which Mr Williamson was shown describing MPs who marched with the Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth as ‘white and privileged’. In the video, he was also shown saying that he had never seen an example of anti-Semitism in Labour, adding that critics had ‘weaponised’ it to condemn the party.
After the row exploded yesterday morning, Mr Williamson was forced to tweet a heavily caveated apology, saying he ‘regretted’ his choice of words, before the party announced an investigation into him for a ‘pattern of behaviour’.
The failure to suspend Mr Williamson immediately triggered fierce anger from Labour MPs, union bosses and Theresa May, who directly challenged Mr Corbyn over the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions.
The backlash was led by Jewish former Labour MP Luciana Berger, who quit the party over what she described as ‘institutional anti-Semitism’. Sharing the video of Mr Williamson online, she said: ‘This is what I have left behind. It’s toxic. Our country deserves so much better.’
Louise Ellman, a Jewish Labour MP who is rumoured to be considering leaving the party, said: ‘Chris Williamson should be suspended immediately... This is a provocation too far.’
Dame Margaret Hodge, who was investigated by the party after branding Mr Corbyn a racist and an anti-Semite, demanded action.
The Jewish veteran MP said her reaction was ‘shock, anger and disappointment’ in the week after Miss Berger was forced out of the Labour party.
GMB union boss Tim Roache had also called for Mr Williamson to lose the Labour whip.
Labour’s parliamentary committee called for Mr Williamson to be suspended but said its leader’s office had initially resisted the move. All ten members of the panel – including Mr Watson – said he should have the whip withdrawn.
And shortly before the decision to suspend Mr Williamson was announced at 5pm, 38 members of the Tribune group of Labour MPs wrote to Miss Formby demanding action.
A party spokesman said: ‘Chris Williamson is suspended from the party, and therefore the whip, pending investigation.’
Asked about the MP’s comments yesterday, Mr Corbyn’s spokesman said they were ‘deeply offensive’ and that ‘downplaying the problem of anti-Semitism makes it harder for us to tackle it’.
The spokesman said Mr Corbyn did not have personal responsibility for withdrawing the whip.
Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: ‘The suspension of Chris Williamson under duress shows that the Labour Party no longer possesses moral initiative.’