Anti-semitism, culpable Corbyn and Labour after Magic Grandpa

When all we people who say we know about these things declared that Magic Grandpa was a silly old fool with imaginary friends and not a hope of getting above a 28% vote share in a UK general election, he showed us he could cast a spell. Buoyed along by his supposed “authenticity” and the promise of special magic beans – more magic money – Jeremy Corbyn last year produced Labour’s best performance in a general election since Wicked Tony Blair fell in with Evil George Bush. Magic Grandpa didn’t win in 2017, but he came shockingly close.

Ahead of the election, the Tories were arrogant and inept. The pundit class was complacent even after Scotland in 2014, Cameron’s shock win in 2015, Brexit in June 2016 and Trump in November 2016. Corbyn the Socialist Santa surfed a wave of populist anger with the Establishment and after the 2017 election it kept on going, for a while.

In the aftermath of the Grenfell disaster the silver-grey bearded Corbyn emoted and connected, when Prime Minister Theresa May could not. At the Glastonbury festival that summer, youngsters chanted his name. Those of us who said his far left takeover of Labour had doomed the party fell silent, embarrassed to have missed what was stirring. The realisation dawned that if the government fell mid-Brexit then Britain could end up with a Marxist anti-Western Prime Minister. It really could happen.

What kind of strange voodoo makes British voters – traditionally wary of extremists and soothsayers – consider putting in Number 10 someone who was sympathetic to the IRA when it was killing on our streets and pro-Soviet during the Cold War? He has never, as far as I can see, ever backed Britain in any conflict during his lifetime. I stand corrected, if you can find one.

There are two parts to the answer. First, the historic Labour “brand” remains strong, which should give moderates succour but seems not to. Corbyn’s personal numbers are poor, and many Labour voters stick with the party believing that we cannot have a situation in which the Tories go unchallenged. They worry about Corbyn in Number 10, but tell themselves he will be constrained (by moderate MPs or the civil service) if he wins. Combine that Labour bedrock – supporting Labour, rather than Corbyn – with the new support he has attracted, from those fired up by his outsider, anti-establishment, post-crisis pitch that there must be a better way. The combination got Labour to 40%.

That coalition of interests has held, so far. None of the complaints and criticisms about his record of supporting or tolerating extremists seemed to register. Now, there is a disturbance in the force. It turns out there are limits to Magic Grandpa’s magic powers.

In 2012 Corbyn commented on a post on Facebook about the removal of an anti-semitic mural from a wall in East London. It showed Jews counting money, made on the backs of the workers, and other far left anti-Jewish tropes.

This was known, but did not take flight as a story until last week. When his Facebook comment was highlighted on Thursday he at first claimed he had been defending freedom of speech. Then Corbyn said he had not seen the mural. Or was the image of it on his phone too small? Who comments on Facebook images they haven’t seen? Then he switched  to saying he regrets the comment.

Reeling from the resulting criticism, on Sunday he suddenly promised action, presumably against himself.

For any previous labour leader to have to issue a statement saying that he will root out anti-semitism among his supporters would have been unthinkable. This partial admission of guilt caused temporary confusion among Magic Grandpa’s loudest supporters who worship him like cultists who have lost their minds.

Remember that the Corbynista line until now has been that there is no anti-semitism among their number or in Labour. A report by Baroness Chakribati of Corbynista two year ago found nothing to worry about.

Fast forward to now. People have simply had enough. The joint statement issued yesterday by the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) and the Board of Deputies of British Jews is a belter:

“When Jews complain about an obviously antisemitic mural in Tower Hamlets, Corbyn of course supports the artist. Hizbollah commits terrorist atrocities against Jews, but Corbyn calls them his friends and attends pro-Hizbollah rallies in London. Exactly the same goes for Hamas. Raed Salah says Jews kill Christian children to drink their blood. Corbyn opposes his extradition and invites him for tea at the House of Commons. These are not the only cases. He is repeatedly found alongside people with blatantly antisemitic views but claims never to hear or read them. Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with antisemites rather than Jews. At best, this derives from the far left’s obsessive hatred of Zionism, Zionists and Israel. At worst, it suggests a conspiratorial world view in which mainstream Jewish communities are believed to be a hostile entity, a class enemy.”

That this scandal shames the Labour party and horrifies mainstream Labour people goes without saying. It is not remotely shocking though, if you have paid any attention to Corbyn and the company he keeps. He’s an anti-Israel groupie, when he is not hanging around with those promoting the work of Socialist dictators.

Last week Corbyn was under fire for being too sympathetic to Russia (he is surrounded by apologists for Stalin) and this week he is having to fight off the backlash that results from years of his own toxic associations and comments on Israel and the politics of the middle east, made alongside some ghastly types. The row has stirred the traumatised moderates in Labour to hold a demonstration, this evening, against anti-semitism.

Annoyingly for Corbyn’s core support there remains only one line of defence, that is the possibility – not wholly unlikely – that he is naive, or quite dim, a bear of little brain who has not had a new thought since 1968. That defence is not the best look if you are trying to sell someone as Prime Minister.

Time is not on Corbyn’s side either. The next election could be as many as four years away. Even if it comes earlier than that, his supporters might find that he had his moment – his surge – in 2017. The Tories will have a new leader at some point, dedicated, it seems likely, to improving the NHS, building houses at a rapid rate, boosting the environment and being robustly patriotic against the Russian state.

Corbyn’s sudden weakness presents the sensible people in Labour with an opportunity, if they are clever enough to stay and begin the fight to save their party. Corbyn is not immortal and the far left has no-one in his mould ready to take over. Magic Grandpa could be replaced by Nasty Uncle John (McDonnell) or one of the rather strange and chippy Corbynite youngsters. But Corbynism without Corbyn would be a pale imitation.

Fame fades. Think of Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland this time four years ago, and now reduced to performing like a circus act on Russia Today, the Russian TV propaganda service. Ed Miliband was a thing three years ago. Nigel Farage was still big two years ago. Boris was favourite for the Tory leadership a year or so ago, but no longer. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

To make something of Corbyn being under renewed pressure, Labour moderates need to end their own obsession with magic thinking. Some of them spend too much time hanging out with the delusional anti-Brexit elite. Patron saint Tony Blair is about as popular as tragic Ant (or is it Dec?) at an ITV management meeting. Blair is not going to halt Brexit. The Observer newspaper and Channel 4 news are not going to halt it either. It is happening, so what matters then to non-Tory modereates is what a moderate centre-left response looks like. How should the economy work? What is public service reform going to look like? How can big tech be brought down to size? How can the public realm be improved urgently without causing economic ruin? How can Britain defend itself in the era of cyberwarfare and black ops?

Any successful fightback by the moderate centre-left needs to start there – with some ideas and answers on what Britain after Brexit should be like. Not with Blair and London PR men who cannot get over having lost the referendum.

There is an opening, however. Corbyn is not going away but he is in trouble. Peak Corbyn could have been passed, and the far left has no-one to replace Magic Grandpa.

What should moderate Labour do? Dig in for the long haul and fight. Get moderate Labour and anti-Tory money and use it to seed a rival to Momentum. Knock doors and recruit moderate centre-left voters. Out recruit the far left. It is hard work. Organisation and entrepreneurialism always is. So, get on with it. Smash the hard left and Communist infiltrators who have stolen Labour. Don’t leave and try to create a slightly better version of the Lib Dems with Vince Cable in tow.Take back the Labour party. Across the political spectrum such a campaign would be welcomed by all moderates and patriots.