Diane Abbott says Corbyn is Labour’s most anti racist leader ever
‘You couldn’t make it up!’ Diane Abbott sparks fury after she describes Corbyn as the most anti racist Labour leader ever despite the anti-Semitism crisis
- Diane Abbott hailed Jeremy Corbyn as an anti-racist on Jewish New Year
- Frontbencher was accused of ignoring the anti-Semitism scandal rocking Labour
- Mr Corbyn facing fresh criticism for holding Labour meeting on Jewish New Year
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Diane Abbott sparked fury today after she dubbed Jeremy Corbyn Labour’s most anti-racist leader ever – despite accusations that he is anti-Semitic.
The shadow home secretary accused Labour MPs who have warned that Labour has become an ‘institutionally racist’ party of waging a vendetta against Mr Corbyn.
But her tweet, which was sent today as the Jewish community celebrate their new year – known as Rosh Hashanah – was condemned by Labour MPs and Jewish leaders.
It comes just three weeks after the MailOnline exclusively published a video showing Mr Corbyn accusing British Zionists of having ‘no sense of English irony’.
The clip, from 2013, sparked a political storm and caused ex chief rabbi Lord Sacks to brand the Labour leader an ‘anti-Semite’ who ‘defiles our politics’.
But Ms Abbott made no mention of the anti-Semitism crisis which has gripped the Labour Party under Mr Corbyn’s watch as she praised her leader.
Diane Abbott (pictured left on Friday on the red carpet in London) sparked fury today after she dubbed Jeremy Corbyn (pictured right last week on a visit to a water pump museum in Leicester) Labour’s most anti-racist leader ever – despite accusations that he is anti-Semitic
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She wrote: ‘Labour now has the most anti-racist leader in its history. But exactly at this point it is suggested Labour is institutionally racist?
‘This isn’t fighting racism. It’s fighting Jeremy Corbyn.’
Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn is facing fresh criticism for holding Labour’s meeting of its parliamentary party tonight – when the Jewish community is celebrating their new year.
A Labour MP told MailOnline that at least two Jewish MPs were not able to attend the PLP meeting tonight.
They said: ‘They are not coming into parliament because it is Jewish New Year. It really sums up Corbyn’s attitude.’
Ms Abbott’s comments are a swipe at Labour MP Chuka Umunna and former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips who both accused Labour of being institutionally racist.
Labour’s shadow home secretary Diane Abbott chose Jewish New Year to heap praise on Jeremy Corbyn for being an anti-racist – ignoring the anti-Semitism row
Tal Ofer, from the Board of Deputies for British Jews, hit out at Ms Abbott over the remarks
Former Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop also tore into Ms Abbott for the comment – voicing his disbelief that she could make the grandiose claim
Tal Ofer, from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: ‘Dismissing the concerns of British Jews and on Rosh Hashanah.
‘You can’t make it up, this is Labour Party in 2018 #EnoughIsEnough #LabourAntisemitism.’
Labour MP John Mann, chairman of the all party group on anti-Semitism, told MailOnline: ‘I wasn’t aware that she had met and knew all the Labour leaders.
‘She must be much older than I thought. No other Labour leader has ever been accused of being a racist though, so I am not sure that history will make such a bold claim.’
Speaking yesterday, former frontbencher Mr Umunna said it was ‘very painful’ to admit Labour had such deep-seated problems.
But he vowed to stay as a Labour member because he it was better to ‘try and argue and see change through in an organisation’ rather than ‘leave the field’.
While former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips claimed the Labour Party is ‘led by anti-Semites and racists’.
Mr Umunna told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: ‘If you look at the definition of institutional racism as outlined by Sir William Macpherson in the Macpherson Report and the Macpherson Inquiry produced the institutional racism definition.
‘The Labour Party, it’s beyond doubt for me that it has met it – it’s very painful for me to say that.’
Streatham MP Mr Umunna has been facing demands to apologise for saying the leadership should ‘call off the dogs’ to stop moderate MPs being driven out by abuse from the hard-left.
Mr Phillips, who served as a Labour member of the London Assembly for three years, told the Mail on Sunday that rows about anti-Semitism are ‘killing our party’.
Labour has faced accusations of anti-Semitism as senior figures have demanded the leadership take firm action to prove the party is not hostile to the Jewish community.
Mr Phillips said: ‘It doesn’t help that one of our great parties, the one I belong to, is led by anti-Semites and racists who basically want to eliminate anyone who disagrees with them.’
What is the timeline of anti-Semitic scandals which have erupted under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership?
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has been accused of failing to tackle the racism among his supporters
The anti-Semitism scandal has dogged Labour since Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader in 2015.
Here is a timeline of the controversies:
April 2016:
Labour MP Naz Shah is suspended for anti-Semitic posts – including one in which she appeared to endorse calls for Israelis to be deported to the US.
She apologised and was given a formal warning.
Ken Livingstone goes on the radio to defend Ms Shah – but sparks fresh controversy by claiming that Hitler supported Zionism.
He is suspended by Labour but refuses to apologise and has repeated the claim many times.
He eventually quits Labour two years later, saying his suspension has become a distraction.
June 2016:
A two-month inquiry by civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabarti finds that Labour is not overrun by anti-Semitism.
But the launch is overshadowed when Jewish Labour MP Ruth Smeeth flees it in tears after being accused by Corbyn supporter Marc Wadsworth of colluding with the press.
Critics accuse the report of being a whitewash and Ms Chakrabarti is widely criticised for accepting a peerage from Jeremy Corbyn shortly afterwards.
October 2016:
The Home Affairs Select Committee says Labour is guilty of incompetence over its handling of anti-Semitism and of creating a safe space for people with ‘vile attitudes towards Jewish people’.
March 2018:
It is revealed that Jeremy Corbyn defended an artist who painted an anti-Semitic mural and said the offensive art should be removed.
He apologises saying he did not properly look at the picture before he made the post.
Jewish leaders take the unprecedented step of holding a demonstration outside Parliament protesting Mr Corbyn’s failure to tackle anti-Semitism.
Several Labour MPs address the crowds.
April 2018:
Marc Wadsworth is expelled from Labour after being accused of anti-Semitism.
Meanwhile, Labour Jewish MPs tell of the anti-Semitic abuse they have suffered in a powerful parliamentary debate – and round on their leader for failing to tackle it.
July 2018:
The Labour leadership sparks fresh anger by failing to fully adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism
Peter Willsman, a strong ally of Jeremy Corbyn, is secretly taped ranting that Jewish ‘Trump fanatics’ invented the anti-Semitism storm engulfing Labour.
In an angry diatribe at a meeting of Labour’s ruling executive committee, he said he was ‘amazed’ there was evidence party members hated Jews.
He claimed ‘some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump – they are Trump fanatics’ before shouting: ‘So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up duff information without any evidence at all.’
August 2018:
Jeremy Corbyn issues a video insisting he is committed to tackling the racism – but it is panned by Jewish leaders.
Corbynistas mount a social media campaign to get deputy Labour leader Tom Watson to quit after he criticises the party’s handling of anti-Semitism.
The Daily Mail exclusively publishes photos of Jeremy Corbyn holding a wreath at a ceremony where a terrorist linked to the Munich massacre was honoured.
The Labour leader insists he was there to honour others killed – but faces fresh calls to quit over the scandal.
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