Corbyn backs me, says expelled activist
Labour member dismissed for verbal abuse of Jewish MP claims leader said he had nothing to answer for
AN ACTIVIST ousted from the Labour Party for verbally abusing a Jewish MP has claimed Jeremy Corbyn told his supporters he had done “nothing wrong”.
The party’s disciplinary body yesterday decided to expel Marc Wadsworth, ruling that his conduct had been “grossly detrimental to the party”. However, Mr Wadsworth said that the Labour leader had told “mutual friends” he had nothing to answer for.
In 2016, Mr Wadsworth stood up in a press conference on Labour anti-semitism and accused Ruth Smeeth, the party’s MP for Stoke-on-trent North, of “working hand in hand” with the media to undermine Mr Corbyn. The exchange resulted in Ms Smeeth leaving in tears.
Mr Corbyn’s office also came under pressure yesterday when it emerged that Ken Livingstone, the former London mayor, had been campaigning during the local elections, despite being suspended from the Labour Party and prohibited from doing so. Mr Livingstone told LBC that the terms of his suspension allowed him to campaign in his constituency, but his claims were rubbished by Labour insiders.
Jonathan Arkush, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said Mr Livingstone was an “ongoing concern” for the Jewish community and that his actions were “deeply provocative”. “We look to them [Mr Corbyn’s office] to take effective action to address his conduct,” he added.
Last night, Ms Smeeth said the outcome of Mr Wadsworth’s hearing had proven that “abuse, bullying and intimidation” would not be tolerated.
However, within minutes of the verdict, Mr Wadsworth declared that his “old friend and comrade” Mr Corbyn “doesn’t see that I did anything wrong”.
He said a member of Mr Corbyn’s team had told him that they were “working behind the scenes” to help his cause. Mr Wadsworth also accused a “gang of white MPS” of attempting to “influence the outcome of my hearing”, a reference to the 40 Labour moderates who marched with Ms Smeeth to the hearing in order to shield her from farleft demonstrators gathered outside.
Last night, allies of Ms Smeeth expressed concern at the claims, with one MP saying: “It would be very worrying if they’re prepared to intervene to support alleged anti-semites, rather than expel them.” Tensions between factions of Labour MPS are in danger of boiling over after it emerged that at least two Corbyn allies – Clive Lewis and Chris Williamson – submitted evidence in Mr Wadsworth’s defence.