Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will not tolerate anti-Semitism following the row over comments made by former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
The Labour leader said the remarks were being investigated and would be dealt with by the General Secretary and the National Executive.
Backbencher John Mann had also been given a dressing down after launching a face-to-face attack on Mr Livingstone in which he accused him of being a "Nazi apologist".
Speaking during a visit to Hull, Mr Corbyn denied Labour has a problem with anti-Semitism as some have claimed.
"No, there is not a problem," he said. "We are totally opposed to anti-Semitism in any form within the party.
"The very small number of cases that have been brought to our attention will be dealt with swiftly and immediately, and they will be."
Mr Livingstone was suspended for "bringing the party into disrepute" after he took to the airwaves for a series of interviews in an attempt to defend Bradford West MP Naz Shah from allegations of anti-Semitism.
Ms Shah was suspended on Wednesday pending an investigation into controversial social media posts about Israel which she made before becoming an MP.
Mr Livingstone insisted that while her remarks were "over the top", she was not anti-Semitic and that he had never encountered anti-Semitism in 40 years in the Labour Party.
He sparked fury among colleagues by going on to claim that Hitler had supported Zionism "before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews".
Within minutes of his BBC London interview, Labour MPs - including several members of the shadow cabinet - were demanding his suspension or removal from the party.
Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan described his comments as "appalling and inexcusable", while shadow cabinet member Chris Bryant told MPs he was "sick and tired" of people trying to explain away anti-Semitism, adding: "Yes, I'm talking to you, Ken Livingstone."
The chairman of the left-wing Momentum group of Corbyn supporters, Jon Lansman, said it was time Mr Livingstone "left politics altogether", adding: "All political lives end in failure and he should now depart voluntarily."
Mr Livingstone was harangued by Mr Mann when the pair arrived to give separate interviews at broadcast studios in Westminster.
As the former London mayor attempted to give a radio interview, the Bassetlaw MP jabbed his finger at him and accused him of being a "Nazi apologist" and attempting to "rewrite history".
The party later said in a statement the chief whip had "made it absolutely clear to John Mann that it is completely inappropriate for Labour Members of Parliament to be involved in very public rows on the television".
A number of Jewish groups have also called for Mr Livingstone's immediate expulsion from Labour.
Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: "He is a hardened politician who has spent his political career accommodating anti-Semitic extremists and making anti-Semitic gaffes."
Jonathan Arkush, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: "Ken Livingstone's comments were abhorrent and beyond disgraceful. He denies anti-Semitism in Labour when the evidence is there for all to see."
Baroness Neuberger, crossbench peer and senior rabbi to the West London Synagogue, has called on Mr Corbyn to set up a crossparty commission to investigate anti-Semitism in the Labour party.
She told Sky News: "I think he has to set up a serious commission to look at this within the Labour party more broadly. I think he has to bring in more people, not Labour, into that Commission or it can be accused of being a whitewash."
No comments:
Post a Comment