Starmer ‘disappointed’ with Corbyn’s response to damning anti-Semitism report
Keir Starmer says he is ‘disappointed’ with Jeremy Corbyn’s response to a damning anti-Semitism report that found the Labour Party had committed ‘unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination’.
An investigation from the Equality and Human Rights Commission uncovered ‘serious failings’ during Mr Corbyn’s time as Labour leader.
The politician was suspended from the party after claiming he did ‘not accept all the findings’ and the scale of the problem was ‘dramatically overstated for political reasons’ by opponents and the media.
He admitted he regrets changes to the party’s complaint processes were not made sooner but claimed procedures implemented were ‘substantial improvements’.
Speaking on Sky News this morning, Sir Keir warned he would ‘not tolerate those who deny there’s a problem of anti-Semitism’.
He said: ‘I was disappointed in Jeremy’s response yesterday, particularly because since I had said in my response the Labour Party will not tolerate anti-Semitism nor will it tolerate those who deny there’s a problem of anti-Semitism or factional. Because that for me is part of the problem.’
When asked if he believed Mr Corbyn was an anti-Semite, Sir Keir once again insisted the report ‘made no individual findings against Jeremy Corbyn’.
The former leader’s suspension has been met with anger from some left Labour members, spurring rumours of a ‘civil war’.
Unite union boss Len McCluskey has warned the move is an ‘act of grave injustice’ that could cause a split and doom the party.
Sir Starmer appealed for unity and an end to ‘factional fighting’ while speaking to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Friday.
He said: ‘There is no reason for a civil war, there’s no reason to lean inwards, that is not what I want.
‘I want to unite the party – that is the basis on which I ran my leadership campaign, I want to unite the party to stop the faction.’
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell – who claims the suspension is ‘profoundly wrong’ – said ‘no one wants civil war’.
However, he cautioned: ‘It seems we are drifting towards a hell of a row over use of language, misinterpretation, followed by over-reaction.
‘My advice is that, with a bit of explanation over what was meant in various statements, we could all save ourselves a lot of unnecessary grief and get on with tackling Covid and job cuts.’
The EHRC investigation was launched in May 2019 following a number of complaints from Campaign Against Antisemitism and the Jewish Labour Movement.
One part of the document read: ‘We found that the Labour Party’s response to anti-Semitism complaints has been inconsistent, poor and not transparent, in terms of the process used, reasons for decisions, record-keeping, delay and failures to communicate with complainants. Some complaints were unjustifiably not investigated at all.’
A joint statement from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust said the results of the investigation proved ‘why British Jews were so distressed’ and ‘disgraces those who attacked us for speaking out against anti-Jewish racism’.
The statement said Mr Corbyn ‘will rightly be blamed for what he has done to Jews and Labour, but the truth is more disturbing as he was little more than a figurehead for old and new anti-Jewish attitudes’.
Mr Corbyn has vowed to ‘strongly content’ the political intervention, saying: ‘Anti-Semitism is absolutely abhorrent, wrong and responsible for some of humanity’s greatest crimes’.
He added: I’ve made absolutely clear those who deny there has been an anti-Semitism problem in the Labour Party are wrong. I will continue to support a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of racism.’
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