Corbynite MPs fight Starmer
Long-Bailey ‘must get her job back’
KEIR Starmer was under pressure from Corbynite MPs last night to reinstate Rebecca Long-Bailey.
The party leader sacked her as Shadow Education Secretary for sharing an “anti-Semitic conspiracy theory”, something she denies.
Following a conference call with the Labour boss, the Socialist Campaign Group of backbench MPs said there had been a “significant disagreement” over her dismissal.
They said in a statement they had “made it clear that Rebecca Long-Bailey should not have been sacked and should be reinstated”.
Former Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jon Trickett, who is close to her, tweeted: “Socialism runs like a red thread through all our history.
“We will keep that thread strong by staying in the party no matter what provocation.”
The row is the most serious to engulf Mr Starmer since he won the leadership. It unfolded after the Salford and Eccles MP endorsed a newspaper interview with actress Maxine Peake.
In it, Ms Peake said US police were trained to kneel on peoples’ necks by “Israeli secret services”. She later retracted the claim. Moderates said the sacking proved Labour’s leader aimed to build trust with Jewish supporters. Mr Starmer’s allies also compared the speed of her firing with ex-leader Jeremy Corbyn’s sluggish handling of anti-Semitism claims.
But Jon Lansman, founder of proCorbyn Momentum told the BBC: “To unite the party he’s got to build trust from the left. He’s made it harder.”
Unite union general secretary Len McCluskey tweeted: “Sacking Rebecca Long-Bailey is an unnecessary over-reaction. Unity is too important to be risked like this.” Mr Starmer’s office declined to comment.
Sacking Long-Bailey is an over-reaction. It risks unity of the party
LEN MCLUSKY UNITE UNION CHIEF