Jewish Labour MP in abuse row accuses Jeremy Corbyn of 'supporting anti-Semites'
3 min read
A Jewish Labour MP who was threatened with censure over a bust up about internal anti-Semitism rules has accused Jeremy Corbyn of “supporting and defending” racists.
Ian Austin said he was “ashamed” of his party as the row continued to rage over whether an internationally-accepted definition of anti-Semitism should be used in full in the Labour code of conduct.
The longstanding Corbyn critic was handed a warning after he confronted Labour chair Ian Lavery over the refusal to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance guidelines unedited.
According to one account, he called the frontbencher a “f***ing b*****d” and a "wanker" in an explosive Commons bust-up shortly before MPs broke up for their summer holidays.
Today the Dudley North MP admitted the exchange - about the refusal by the National Executive Committee to adopt all the IHRA examples of anti-Semitism - was “heated” but he insisted he did not “scream abuse”.
He added: “I’m really shocked that a party that’s got a proud tradition throughout its entire existence of fighting racism has ended up causing such huge offence and distress to the Jewish community in Britain.
“I think this could never have happened before. I’m appalled that it’s happened, I’m ashamed of the Labour party, I really am.”
Mr Austin said the Labour leader had “spent his entire time in politics on the extreme fringes of the Labour party supporting and defending all sorts of extremists and in some cases, frankly, anti-Semites”.
In the interview with Radio 4 show The World this Weekend, he went on: “That’s why I thought three years ago he shouldn’t be the leader of the Labour party.
“That’s why I think now that somebody with views and a history like his isn’t really suited to the leadership of a mainstream political party.
“I was worried that what would happen is a mainstream social democratic party would be turned into something much more extreme. That’s what I fear is happening - that’s what I’m worried about.”
Mr Austin received a letter from party bosses saying he was under investigation for “abusive conduct” after a clash with Labour chair Ian Lavery over changes to the party rulebook.
But a Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour party takes all complaints extremely seriously. These are fully investigated in line with party rules and procedures.”
It makes him the second MP to face disciplinary action over the issue after colleague Margaret Hodge was pulled up for calling Jeremy Corbyn a “racist anti-Semite” to his face.
RULEBOOK ROW
Labour has accepted the central IHRA definition of anti-Semitism but has failed to mimic four of its examples of abuse - including saying Jews are more loyal to Israel than their home country.
The party has previously said: "We understand the strong concerns raised in the Jewish community and are seeking to engage with communal organisations to build trust and confidence in our party. We know there is a huge amount of work to do."
Labour has also said its code of code of conduct "expands on and contextualises" the IHRA definition "to produce robust, legally sound guidelines that a political party can apply to disciplinary cases".
The party has also argued that parts of the IHRA definition could be "used to deny Palestinians, including Palestinian citizens of Israel and their supporters, their rights and freedoms to describe the discrimination and injustices they face in the language they deem appropriate".
Labour MPs will hold a ballot in September on incorporating the full IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, along with its accompanying examples, into its standing orders. It is expected to pass comfortably.
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