• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • FAQ
  • Meet the Team
  • About The London Economic
  • Advertise
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
NEWSLETTER
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Starmer refuses to let Corbyn sit as Labour MP, sparking uproar on the left

Starmer said Corbyn’s comments that antisemitism had been exaggerated for “political reasons” had “undermined our work in restoring trust” with the Jewish community.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
November 18, 2020
in Politics
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

Jeremy Corbyn will not sit as a Labour MP in the House of Commons – despite being reinstated as a party member, Sir Keir Starmer said.

The ex-leader was readmitted on Tuesday, just 19 days after he was suspended over his controversial response to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission report on antisemitism in the Labour Party.

But, despite being let off with a warning by a five-person disciplinary board, Starmer said Corbyn’s comments that antisemitism had been exaggerated for “political reasons” had “undermined our work in restoring trust” with the Jewish community. 

Board of Deputies of British Jews president Marie van der Zyl hailed Starmer for taking “the appropriate leadership decision” by denying Corbyn the whip, but John McDonnell – the former shadow chancellor and close ally of the former leader – said it was “just plain wrong” and would cause “more division and disunity in the party”.

RelatedPosts

Half of Brexiteers ‘comfortably well off’ – not ‘left behind’ Red Wall voters

Starmer confronted by shouty pub landlord in Bath

PM unable to name Conservative regional mayor during visit to South West

Race report ‘tries to normalise white supremacy’, UN human rights experts warn

‘Dramatically overstated’

Corbyn paved the way for a rapprochement with the party by releasing a statement on Tuesday claiming he had not intended to diminish the extent of Labour antisemitism, and that he supported Starmer’s intention to accept in full the EHRC recommendations.

In the aftermath of the bombshell report’s publication, he had lashed out at “opponents inside and outside the Party” and the media, who he claims “dramatically overstated” the issue for “political reasons”.

In a statement, Starmer said: “I have made it my mission to root out anti-Semitism from the Labour Party. I know that I will judged on my actions, not my words.

“The disciplinary process does not have the confidence of the Jewish community. That became clear once again yesterday.”

He added: “Jeremy Corbyn’s actions in response to the EHRC report undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party’s ability to tackle anti-Semitism.

“In those circumstances, I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn. I will keep this situation under review.”

‘No unity’

The move won support from Jewish Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who said Corbyn had “refused to himself accept the findings of the EHRC report, refused to apologise for his actions and refused to take away any responsibility”.

But former shadow justice minister Richard Burgon, a prominent member of the Socialist Campaign Group of pro-Corbyn MPs, said that the Islington North MP “should immediately have the whip restored”.

“At a time of national crisis, division in the Labour Party serves nobody but the Tory government,” he said.

Jon Lansman, who founded Corbyn-backing grassroots group Momentum, said Starmer’s decision had “driven a coach and horses through the party’s disciplinary process”, adding that he had made it “subservient to the parliamentary party”.

Former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, a close Corbyn ally, said: “I fail to see how today’s actions bring closure or unity”.

Related: Corbyn claims it was ‘not my intention’ to say Labour antisemitism was ‘overstated’

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending fromTLE

  • All
  • trending

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

Stress, fear and homelessness: The threat looming over families confronted with eviction

File photo dated 07/11/03 of a prison cell.

The Other Prison Pandemic

Latest from TLE

Lucky Numbers and Horoscopes for today, 20 April 2021

Image by AdobeStock

Weather forecast, alerts and UVB index for London, Tuesday 20 April 2021

TLE drives: The Honda Civic Type R

Adam James: The lone wolf of Saville Row

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: jack@thelondoneconomic.com

Commercial enquiries, please contact: advertise@thelondoneconomic.com

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech & Auto
  • About The London Economic
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy policy

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.