The Jewish Labour Movement is furious at Labour’s decision to reinstate Jeremy Corbyn after just 19 days’ suspension. The former leader was suspended for claiming antisemitism under his leadership had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party.”
His initial statement had been in response an investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. It found the party under his leadership responsible for unlawful acts of harassment of and discrimination against Jewish members.
Following a “clarification” today – not an apology – in which Corbyn said concerns about antisemitism are neither “exaggerated” nor “overstated”, a meeting of Labour National Executive Committee members was hastily convened to consider Corbyn’s case.
The panel issued him with something called a “reminder of values”, the lowest level of sanction he could have been given, and removed his suspension.
This is a massive loss for Sir Keir Starmer, who had used Corbyn’s suspension to show that the party had moved on from the former leader’s toxic brand. Now he will have to explain why his party, “under new management”, continues to make room for a man who oversaw large-scale antisemitism and hasn’t apologised for it.
Starmer may have to stop some of his backbenchers from resigning the whip; earlier today, a group of moderate MPs warned that they would do so if Corbyn was reinstated.
Most importantly, Starmer will have to respond to the party’s Jewish members, who face yet another chapter of pain and injustice. In a vehement, powerful statement, the Jewish Labour Movement said this evening:
“It is extraordinary that just weeks after the EHRC found that the Labour Party had discriminated against Jewish members through political manipulation of the disciplinary process, it appears that the party expedited this case for hearing by a factionally aligned political committee. After his failure of leadership to tackle antisemitism, so clearly set out in the EHRC’s report, any reasonable and fair-minded observer would see Jeremy Corbyn’s statement today as insincere and wholly inadequate.
He has offered no apology for his total failure of leadership to tackle antisemitism in the Labour Party, or contrition for his role in allowing political manipulation of the disciplinary process by his own office in his name. His statement on the day of the report’s publication made no mention of this and was grossly offensive as it downplayed the reality of antisemitism in the Labour Party. Today’s decision will only embolden those who agreed with him.
Once again we find ourselves having to remind the Labour Party that Jeremy Corbyn is not the victim of Labour antisemitism – Jewish members are.”
A major reverse for Starmer and his efforts to modernise and rehabilitate Labour.
