You’ve been shamed, Jeremy
As Corbyn dithers, Scots Labour orders training on anti-Semitism
ALL Scottish Labour politicians, candidates and senior figures will be made to undergo anti-Semitism training, in a decision which shames Jeremy Corbyn.
The unprecedented move is a damning indictment of the extent of anti-Jewish prejudice that is rife in the party.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, who has admitted the party is struggling to cope with the flood of complaints coming in, yesterday told the Scottish Labour conference in Dundee that the anti-Semitism of his party ‘sickened’ him.
However, the decision to order all senior figures to undergo training also contrasts with the inaction and denial of the UK party and Mr Corbyn.
Last night, members of Scotland’s Jewish com- munity said the UK Labour leader suffered from ‘ingrained anti-Semitism’.
Mr Leonard’s party was forced into taking action following points raised at conference by delegates from Paisley, Renfrewshire South and Eastwood, where a large percentage of Scotland’s Jewish population lives.
In a memo to the party’s ruling Scottish executive committee (SEC), seen by this newspaper, general secretary Brian Roy wrote: ‘There is absolutely no place for antiSemitism or any other form of racism or discrimination in the Scottish Labour Party.
‘And as such, we must take every necessary measure to drive antiSemitism out of our party completely, to rebuild trust with the Jewish communities in Scotland, as a matter of urgency.
‘The Scottish executive committee will ensure, as part of this work, that all Scottish Labour elected representatives, candidates and members of the SEC participate in equality and diversity training.’
On Friday, Mr Leonard admitted his party is drowning under the weight of anti-Semitism complaints. Addressing conference, he gave his strongest speech yet on the issue.
He said: ‘We must be united and we must be distinctively Labour. Distinctively Labour in our words, but in our deeds as well.
‘And, yes, that means we need to win back the trust of Scotland’s Jewish communities, who feel badly let down. It sickens me that there is any anti-Semitism in our party and in our movement. There is no place in our party for prejudice, bigotry, hatred and racism. And that’s why I say to you this afternoon, unequivocally, we will root it out.’
That was welcomed by members of Scotland’s Jewish community, who said many politicians and activists on the Left do not even know they are being anti-Semitic, when they buy into wild conspiracies of Jews controlling the banks, governments and the media. Matthew Berlow, of Glasgow Friends of Israel, said: ‘Anti-Semitism is a difficult subject, there are complexities associated with it.
‘It stems from myths and people often find themselves in a trap of becoming anti-Semitic because they believe those myths.’
He warned that the Left has a particular problem with the issue, which will not be solved by its current UK leadership. ‘Left-wing antiSemitism is more insidious and dangerous than Right-wing antiSemitism,’ Mr Berlow said.
‘We have people at the top of the Labour Party who are anti-Semitic and don’t understand the issue.
‘Look at Jeremy Corbyn. Surely he realised when he lays a wreath for a terrorist who murdered Jews at the Olympics that must come from a form of ingrained anti-Semitism.’
Last night, senior figures urged Mr Corbyn to follow Scottish Labour’s lead, but added more action was needed to root antiSemitism out of the party.
Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray said: ‘Absolutely, but he needs to do more than that. It’s not just about diversity training, it’s about rooting it out of the party for good.
‘It’s good that this has gone out. It does look like Scottish Labour is taking it more seriously, but it’s not just about training, it’s about taking
a serious approach to any form of racism and anti-Semitism.’
Labour faced criticism in January when Jim Sheridan, a supporter of Mr Corbyn, was reinstated after a suspension for saying he had lost ‘respect and empathy’ for the Jewish community over criticism of the leader. When he was brought back into the party, the ex-MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North said his ‘accusers had over-reacted’.
Last night, a UK Labour source said any similar plans for the party down south ‘would be an issue for the national executive committee or the Labour Party conference’.
But a frontbencher told The Scottish Mail on Sunday the Scottish party had appeared to steal a march on the English one.
He said: ‘We agreed this last year for England and Wales but, as far as I’m aware, it hasn’t been introduced yet. We should all have this training.’