closeicon
News

Labour MPs say Shadow Cabinet members ‘actively complicit’ in smearing antisemitism whistleblowers

MPs John Mann, Wes Streeting, and Ruth Smeeth say too many members of the shadow cabinet have been 'silent' on the issue

articlemain

HULL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn steps off a train from Leeds as he tours the North of England by rail today on September 3, 2018 in Hull, England. Labour under Mr Corbyn are proposing a 'Crossrail for the North' linking the North East and North West of England with a new rail line. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Jeremy Corbyn and his shadow cabinet have been warned that the "bunker mentality around the leader is causing immense damage to the Labour Party,” in a new letter sent to Mr Corbyn and his shadow cabinet ahead of Monday's emergency debate on antisemitism.

The letter, written by All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism co-chair, John Mann and Wes Streeting, co-chair of the APPG Against Antisemitism and Jewish Labour Movement Parliamentary chair Ruth Smeeth, also states that since the broadcast of the BBC Panorama show on antisemitism "too many members of the Shadow Cabinet have been silent bystanders to, or - worse still - actively complicit in, an officially sanctioned spin campaign against victims of racism and whistleblowers.”

The MPs add: "We can’t go on like this. The bunker mentality around the Leader is causing immense damage to the Labour Party. 

“Monday’s meeting of the Shadow Cabinet is an important opportunity to turn things around.”

They urged Mr Corbyn and his shadow cabinet “not to waste” the opportunity “individually, and collectively, you are the leadership of the Labour Party. It is time for you to step up to the mark.”

The plea also notes the letters sent last Friday to the shadow cabinet from the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council.

It adds: "The JLC and the Board of Deputies are the representative bodies of British Jewry. They do not claim to speak for every Jewish citizen, but they do speak for a majority. 

"The Board has urged you to turn the tide against antisemitism within our ranks and have outlined the minimum steps they would expect the Labour Party to take in order to start this process. The JLC have urged you to examine your consciences and have also made it clear that to be silent is be complicit.”

It also refers to the GMB Labour staff union vote condemning the leadership's response to antisemitism complaints.

Labour staff voted overwhelmingly for a motion condemning the party’s response to last week’s BBC Panorama documentary, which saw it attack whistleblowers who spoke out about antisemitism.

On Thursday, party staff represented by the GMB trade union voted 124 to four for a motion that demanded the party apologise and affirms support for whisteblowers, after Labour hit out at "disaffected" ex-staffers who spoke to journalists about the party's Jew-hate crisis.

The letter to the shadow cabinet stated: "Aside from the fact that a number of those who appeared on the Panorama programme voted twice for Jeremy Corbyn to become Leader of the Labour Party, the resolution passed this week by the GMB Labour staff branch must surely serve as a wake up call to those members of the Shadow Cabinet who continue to labour under the delusion that complaints about our handling of antisemitism cases, and the culture of the Labour Party’s leadership and management, are motivated by those with an axe to grind.”

Share via

Want more from the JC?

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

Want more from
the JC?

To continue reading, we just
need a few details...

Get the best news and views from across the Jewish world Get subscriber-only offers from our partners Subscribe to get access to our e-paper and archive