Long-Bailey’s claim to have acted on Jew-hate rebutted by Labour insiders
V SENIOR LABOUR figures have challenged leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey’s claim to have lobbied Jeremy Corbyn behind the scenes to act over antisemitism.
The Shadow Business Secretary — who has had to deny she is the “continuity Corbyn” candidate — claimed in an interview with Sky News’ Sophie Ridge on Sunday to have been “quite vocal” on the issue under Mr Corbyn’s leadership and that she had spoken to “various members” of the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) on the subject.
But Alun Davies, a former Welsh government minister and member of Labour’s NEC, disputed her claim, tweeting: “I don’t remember you saying anything on this at NEC meetings or supporting those of us who raised these issues.”
The JC spoke to a second source familiar with NEC meetings that Ms Long-Bailey attended who had “no recollection” of her “challenging anyone in the leadership over antisemitism.”
Mr Davies — who was appointed to the NEC by Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones in September 2016 — remained on the body until February last year.
He and another source were present at meetings when antisemitism was discussed on a number of occasions.
Ms Long-Bailey would often remain largely silent during meetings of Labour’s executive — and on several occasions was not in the room but would dial in by telephone to register her vote on issues, the JC understands.
In an article for the Jewish News, Ms LongBailey wrote that she had supported her local council in adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
In her Sky News interview, Ms LongBailey also said Mr Corbyn “does” bear personal responsibility for the failure to stem the tide of antisemitism from within the party.
On Sunday, Ms Long-Bailey tweeted her support for the Board of Deputies’ 10 pledges which it urged candidates to commit to in order to deal with the problem.
She was joined by fellow leadership candidates Sir Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy, Emily Thornberry and Jess Phillips in supporting the pledges.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Sir Keir said: “We should have done more on antisemitism. If you are antisemitic you shouldn’t be in the Labour Party. It is not complicated.”
Speaking to LBC radio on Monday, Ms Phillips said that on several occasions “felt quite tempted” to quit Labour over the antisemitism crisis.
She said the party had become “unrecognisable”, but added that she did not leave because she “would have just been replaced by somebody who might not have spoken up”.
Ms Phillips said “the Luciana thing” — when fellow MP Luciana Berger was driven from the party by antisemitic bullying — “shook me very deeply”.
She said: “Actually, it was the episode of Panorama where I wobbled the most and… just thought ‘this is unrecognisable to me as the party’.”
I don’t remember you saying anything at NEC meetings’