Labour accused of ‘attempting to silence’ Hodge with threat
LABOUR’S anti-semitism row plunged to new depths last night as it emerged that Dame Margaret Hodge had been threatened with suspension if she repeated her allegation that Jeremy Corbyn was an “anti-semite”.
Lawyers acting on behalf of the veteran Jewish MP have written to Jennie Formby, Labour’s general secretary, alleging that a letter threatening Dame Margaret with disciplinary action appeared to be a “veiled attempt to silence her”.
The legal response, seen by The Daily Telegraph, claims that the former minister has been placed in an “impossible situation” due to “fundamental procedural flaws” with the probe, adding that Ms Formby had failed to state clearly why she was being investigated.
It comes days after Dame Margaret branded the Labour leader an “antisemite” in an explosive exchange in Parliament over the failure of the party’s governing body to adopt in full an internationally recognised definition of anti-semitism.
It has now emerged that Dame Margaret, whose relatives were murdered in the Holocaust, was issued with a disciplinary letter 12 hours later.
Last night Labour MPS rallied behind Dame Margaret as they accused the party leadership of “sickening double standards”. At a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, they demanded that the MPS’ code of conduct be amended to include the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-semitism.
Labour MPS will vote in September on whether to back the adoption of the anti-semitism definition, which has already been rejected by the party leadership.
Separately, sources told this newspaper that Ms Formby’s letter was a “definite” attempt to “gag” Dame Margaret.
Asked about the controversy, Dame Margaret contrasted the speed in which Labour had launched proceedings against her with the prolonged time frame for investigating activists accused of hatred towards Jews.
A Labour spokesman said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints extremely seriously. These are investigated in line with the party’s rules and procedures.”