Labour MPs to give Jeremy Corbyn seven days to prove party has acted on antisemitism

Labour MPs will give Jeremy Corbyn a week to prove the leadership has got to grips with the antisemitism row that has dogged the party.

MPs are braced for a fresh clash over handling of anti-Jewish sentiment in Labour’s ranks amid warnings the party risks appearing “institutionally antisemitic” if the issue is not addressed.

The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) will debate a motion on Monday that would give the leadership seven days to set out how it is addressing the antisemitism allegations which engulfed the party last year.

The move comes amid anger over Labour’s handling of disciplinary cases, including the decision to reinstate ex-MP Jim Sheridan, now a councillor in Renfrewshire, in Scotland, who was suspended from the party last year for allegedly making antisemitic comments online.

Mr Sheridan apologised to the Jewish community but he said his accusers had overreacted.

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The motion, tabled by Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell, said: “In the months that have followed the PLP is dismayed that there remains such a backlog of antisemitism cases that are still to be investigated and a decision reached – in particular the high-profile cases that it was promised would be concluded by July 2018.

“The PLP is very concerned by recent reports that a number of cases of alleged antisemitic activity from high-profile members have been dropped. The PLP calls on the party leadership to adequately tackle cases of antisemitism, as a failure to do so seriously risks antisemitism in the party appearing normalised and the party seeming to be institutionally antisemitic.”  

Deputy leader Tom Watson suggested last year that Labour’s general secretary Jennie Formby should step down if the antisemitism row had not been dealt with by Christmas.

He said Ms Formby had “staked” her career on dealing within antisemitism in Labour, after taking over from Iain McNicol in April 2018. 

A Labour MP told The Independent: “Obviously a commitment was made that this would be dealt with by the end of the year. Since then, it hasn’t been gripped with or dealt with. There are still lots of outstanding cases and there are people who are being cleared and reinstated, having been suspended, where they have been guilty of egregious racism.” 

However a source said the NCC, Labour’s disciplinary committee, was the only body with the power to expel members. It is independent of the leadership, including Ms Formby.

A Labour spokesperson said: “Labour is committed to tackling antisemitism in all its forms wherever it arises, in our party and wider society. We have significantly sped up and strengthened our procedures for dealing with complaints about antisemitism.”

Independent