Jeremy Corbyn has been suspended from the Labour Party over his response to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism – just months after he stepped down as leader.
A spokesperson for the Labour Party said: “In light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them subsequently, the Labour Party has suspended Jeremy Corbyn pending investigation. He has also had the whip removed from the Parliamentary Labour Party.”
The decision was reportedly made by Labour Party HQ and not by Sir Keir Starmer, Corbyn’s successor – although some are disputing this.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Corbyn said that reform of the Party’s complaints process was “stalled by an obstructive party bureaucracy” and that the system was “not fit for purpose” when he became leader in 2015.
“The scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media,” he added. “That combination hurt Jewish people and must never be repeated.”
Leading figures on the left have responded to the news of Corbyn’s suspension. Here are some of the most significant reactions.
Jeremy Corbyn
John McDonnell
Aaron Bastani
Ash Sarkar
Matt Zarb-Cousin
Related: Jeremy Corbyn suspended from the Labour Party over EHRC remarks