Backlash against eight Labour MPs who voted to REJECT the international definition of anti-Semitism
Backlash against eight Labour MPs who voted to REJECT the international definition of anti-Semitism
- Labour MPs voted 205 to 8 for the IHRA anti-Semitism definition on Wednesday
- John Mann said the Labour MPs who voted against it should reveal themselves
- The anti-Semitism scandal has plunged Jeremy Corbyn’s party in a bitter feud
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A growing backlash is raging against eight Labour MPs who voted to reject the party finally adopting the international definition of anti-Semitism.
The party has been plunged into a bitter civil war over the issue after Jeremy Corbyn spent months refusing to adopt the full code – ignoring the demands of many of his MPs and Jewish leaders.
He finally bowed to pressure and Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) voted to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance code.
But in a fresh row, eight Labour MPs voted on Wednesday to reject the code in a secret ballot.
They were overwhelmingly overruled by 205 who back it, but the mysterious small group were today told to unveil themselves.
John Mann, Labour MP and chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on anti-Semitism, told MailOnlne: ‘They should reveal themselves.’
Labour MP John Mann (pictured addressing a demonstration protesting at the anti-Semitism crisis in Labour, held outside Parliament in March) said the eight MPs who voted against the definition should reveal themselves
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He added: ‘They have gone against the National Executive Committee, and I ma not in favour of a secret ballot for things like this.
‘We have no idea if these are leading frontbenchers or not. They should have the confidence in their arguments to explain themselves.’
Mr Mann – one of the lading critics of Mr Corbyn’s failure to tackle the racism festering among some of his supporters – said the anti-Semitism crisis is far from over.
Jewish couple are packing their bags for Israel over the anti-Semitism crisis
A leading Jewish lawyer and his partner have said they are leaving the UK after being bombarded by anti-Semitic abuse and death threats by Jeremy Corbyn supporters.
Mark Lewis, an ex Labour supporter who represented victims in the phone-hacking case, and Mandy Blumenthal said they are planning to move to Israel by the end of the year.
They accused Mr Corbyn of moving the ‘rock anti-Semites have crawled out from’ and said they have received a growing wave of hate and threats since he became Labour leader.
Mr Lewis said a man has been sent to prison for threatening to kill him simply because he is Jewish.
He told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire Show: ‘The online abuse might continue, the Israelis might not like me because I am too left, might not like me because they think I am too right, whatever their view.
‘But they are not going to dislike me because I am Jewish. And there is only so much you can take – when you are getting threats to kill you.
‘When you are getting threats from people that they want you to be ill etc, it’s a drip drip effect.’
Ms Blumenthal said: ‘People are – in the majority of circles that I mix in – actually talking about their options of leaving here because of the anti-Semitism.’
His stark warning comes after MPs were told yesterday that there is a link between the surge in anti-Semitic hate crimes and the scandal rocking Labour.
Dave Rich, the head of policy at the Community Security Trust (CST), said incidents soared from a few dozen a month to over 100 in spring 2016 – Just when the crisis erupted in Jeremy Corbyn’s party.
And he urged the Labour leader to finally listen to the Jewish community and pass reforms to root out the racism and usher in a ‘cultural change’.
It comes as a new Survation poll published in the Jewish Chronicle reveals that four out of ten Jews would consider leaving the UK if Mr Corbyn becomes PM.
The Labour leader last night failed to quell anger over vile abuse wracking Labour despite bowing to demands to adopt the international definition of anti-Semitism.
He caused new offence by trying to add a statement detailing protection for people who call Israel racist – a caveat rejected even by loyalists on the party’s ruling NEC.
Speaking to the women and equalities select committee today, Mr Rich said: ‘Over the last two years we have seen a much closer correlation between events in the Labour Party and our anti-Semitic incidents statistics than any other single factor.’
Detailing anti-Semitism incidents reported to the CST, he said: ‘We recorded 129 incidents in June and 129 in July, but we had recorded 135 in May the month prior and 100 incidents in April.
‘The big uptick in anti-Semitism incidents we recorded came in April and May. Now around that time came the whole issue about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party really hit the front-pages with the suspensions of Naz Shah and Ken Livingstone.
‘So we took that increase to be in response to those incidents that were happening here in the Labour Party.
‘It may be the debate around Brexit and increase in hate crime after that debate kept the anti-Semitic incidents sustained at a higher level, and maybe they would have fallen away had it not been for that, but we had already seen an uptick before other hate crime….
Dave Rich, the head of policy at the Community Security Trust (CST) (pictured yesterday in parliament in front of the women and equalities select committee) said incidents soared from a few dozen a month to over 100 in spring 2016 – Just when the crisis erupted in Jeremy Corbyn’s party
Laura Marks, chairwoman of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, (pictured, far left at the committee in Parliament yesterday) said their has been a ‘tide change’ in the Jewish community over the past three years and that the unease is ‘palpable’
‘Over the last two years we have seen a much closer correlation between events in the Labour Party and our anti-Semitic incidents statistics than any other single factor.’
Mr Rich said that while he is not suggesting everyone committing the hate crimes are in the Labour Party, he warned the scandal is feeding a toxic atmosphere.
And he urged Mr Corbyn to listen to the Jewish community and make the reforms needed to root out the abuse.
He said this must be seen as more than mere ‘technical’ changes, but ‘a cultural change as well’.
At least half a dozen Labour MPs are considering following Frank Field and quitting over the scandal.
Last month Mark Lewis, an ex Labour supporter and leading Jewish lawyer,, and his partner Mandy Blumenthal revealed they are leaving Britain for Israel because of the scandal.
They accused Mr Corbyn of moving the ‘rock anti-Semites have crawled out from’ and said they have received a growing wave of hate and threats since he became Labour leader.
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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