MPs’ fightback has had impact

MANY WILL have greeted the news this week that Labour MPs had postponed an emergency vote on antisemitism until September as yet another example of their failure to stand up to Jeremy Corbyn’s control of the party. But do not be fooled.

At times over the past few weeks, as last week’s JC editorial suggested, the only option for Jewish MPs and their Commons supporters seemed to be to resign the whip and form a new independent bloc.

But the on-going rebellion of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) against the adoption of the party’s new antisemitism code holds at least a glimmer of hope for those who retain any sense of connection to Labour.

Of course, there is no getting away from the fact that at the very top Labour is led by a far-left clique with political beliefs — especially around foreign policy — which do not sit comfortably with mainstream Jewish opinion in this country, to say the least.

But in Westminster, on the past two consecutive Monday evenings, the PLP has staged impressive and significant meetings in which Jewish MPs have been loudly applauded by non-Jewish colleagues determined to show their solidarity in the face of the leadership’s absurd decision to decide what constitutes anti-Jewish activity.

The determination of MPs including Dame Louise Ellman, Dame Margaret Hodge, Luciana Berger, Ruth Smeeth and Alex Sobel to stand up for the Jewish community may ultimately turn out to be a futile exercise in the midst of an increasingly dictatorial leadership.

As one impressive non-Jewish Labour MP said to me last week, they “just want to do the right thing for the Jewish community”.

It is also worth noting that hardleft MPs allied to Mr Corbyn could easily have scuppered this fightback and emergency motion on procedural grounds — but they stayed away.

There is no desire to inflame the tensions further, if you believe those who say Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is desperate to bury the antisemitism crisis as he believes the party is inching towards government.

Cynical, yes, but he is desperate for power.

In September this same group of MPs will return from summer recess and vote on the emergency motion that, if passed, will put the PLP directly at odds with Labour’s ruling national executive.

It is a scenario the Labour leadership will not relish, because the party’s antisemitism crisis could yet prove costly in the event of a surprise general election.