HOW RED KEN ‘HITLER’ ROW EXPLODED
UNBRIDLED and in the full glare of the media, it was one of the most extraordinary public clashes between two senior politicians in modern times. Backbench Labour MP John Mann cornered Ken Livingstone and, amid a tirade of invective, denounced him as ‘a disgusting racist’.
The explosive confrontation came just yards from Parliament and continued for several minutes as the outspoken MP for Bassetlaw repeatedly accused Mr Livingstone of being a Nazi apologist.
Mr Mann, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on anti-semitism, challenged Mr Livingstone’s claim that Hitler supported Zionism in 1932, when he took over as German chancellor, saying: ‘What are you on?’
The row started outside Millbank broadcasting studios in Westminster, then continued inside the building as the former London mayor attempted to conduct a radio interview on his mobile phone.
It came after Mr Livingstone said during a radio interview: ‘Let’s remember, when Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel.
‘He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.’ As Mr Livingstone was entering the building at 4 Millbank, which houses BBC studios, Mr Mann shouted: ‘You’re a disgusting racist. A lying racist. A Nazi apologist.’
He then shouted: ‘You’ve lost it. You need help... Factually wrong racist remarks.’
Mr Livingstone replied: ‘Go and check your history. That was the policy they ran on in 1932. It was to deport all the Jews in Germany to Israel.’
The MP replied: ‘You read the Nazi policy, you read Mein Kampf. What did Mein Kampf say about Zionism?’
Later on, he said: ‘You’re a disgusting Nazi apologist, Livingstone.’
And he added: ‘I think you’ve lost it, Mr Livingstone. What are you on at the moment? You certainly shouldn’t be on Labour’s national executive.’
Mr Livingstone then went on the BBC’s Daily Politics show where he was appearing as a guest – only to be confronted by Mr Mann on a giant screen from a separate studio.
A string of Labour MPs also attacked Mr Livingstone’s antisemitic words. After hours of procrastination, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn suspended Mr Livingstone. But in the same statement, he said Mr Mann would be hauled before chief whip Rosie Winterton to ‘discuss his conduct’. It was claimed he also wanted to suspend Mr Mann – a known critic of his leadership – for bringing Labour into disrepute but his whips refused.
Critics said it showed the far-left leadership of the party viewed Mr
‘You’ve lost it, you need help’
Mann losing his temper over what he thought was outrageous racism as morally equivalent to Mr Livingstone making a stream of offensive comments about Jews and Hitler.
The Labour leadership was forced to deny a claim that Mr Corbyn, on a trip to Grimsby, told a colleague: ‘We are not suspending Ken, unless we suspend John [Mann] too.’
Mr Mann is seen as close to Labour’s working class supporters as opposed to the more middle class metropolitan supporters of Mr Corbyn.
A Labour spokesman said: ‘The chief whip has made it absolutely clear to John Mann that it is completely inappropriate for Labour MPs to be involved in very public rows on television. She was very clear about how seriously this was viewed. John Mann fully accepted and understands this.’