Don’t start civil war
Labour to tackle split in anti-Semitism row
I want to unite the party. There is no reason to lean inwards
KEIR STARMER ON BEING TRUE TO CAMPAIGN VOW
KEIR Starmer yesterday urged Jeremy Corbyn’s allies not to launch a “civil war” as he insisted: “I’m not purging anybody.”
The Labour leader faced anger from the Left after Mr Corbyn was suspended over his response to a report into the party’s handling of anti-Semitism.
Mr Corbyn’s allies yesterday claimed he had still not been told which rule he is accused of breaking.
But sources around the ex-Labour leader told the Mirror they were not looking to step up the conflict.
The war of words between allies of Mr Corbyn and Mr Starmer noticeably cooled yesterday afternoon.
Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who has described the suspension as “profoundly wrong”, said Mr Starmer was right to say he does not want a civil war. He said: “Nobody does but it seems we are drifting towards a hell of a row over use of language, misinterpretation, followed by overreaction.”
Len McCluskey, the boss of the Unite union, a financial backer for Labour, initially warned the move was an “act of grave injustice” that could cause a split and doom the party to defeat.
But yesterday he said it is “time for some calmness” and asked his union members to stay in the party as they try to resolve the “unjust” suspension. He said: “We need the party arty to be united.” united.
But some Corbyn n allies are less conciliatory. Campaign paign group Momentum called the move a “naked attack on the e Left” and organised a virtual Stand With Corbyn rally yesterday. ay.
Diane Abbott, Shadow adow Home Secretary under Mr Corbyn, shared a petition calling ling for Labour to reinstate him, adding: ding: “He has always stood with us. We must stand nd with him.” Mr Starmer repeated a pledge from his leadership campaign, saying: “There is no reason for a civil war, there’s no reason to lean inwards, that is not what I want. I want to unite the party.” Mr Starmer said Mr Corbyn and his team “knew exactly” that any suggestion the issue had been exaggerated could lead to expulsion.
He said: “I’m deeply disappointed in that response from Jeremy Corbyn, not least because I spoke to him the night before the report to set out how I intended to deal w with it.” Last night senior senio figures close to Mr Starmer a and Mr Corbyn were engaged in informal talks in an effort to t allow the ex-leader to return retu to the party. It is understoo understood a condition would be himw him withdrawing his remark remarks and making a full apology. But some
Labour MPs have discussed resigning from the parliamentary party.
The threat was revealed by Ian Lavery MP but he said that any such move would be a “disaster”.
Mr Corbyn claimed on Thursday his enemies and the media had “dramatically overstated” the scale of anti- Jewish racism in the party “for political reasons”.
He refused to accept all the damning findings by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which found that Labour broke equality law on his watch.
The Islington North MP will “strongly contest” the decision to suspend him.
LABOUR has taken a five-point lead over the Conservatives, to 42%, amid the fallout from Boris Johnson’s handling of coronavirus, an Ipsos MORI poll found.