Labour’s chief whip Nick Brown has written to Jeremy Corbyn asking him to “unequivocally, unambiguously and without reservation” apologise for claiming that the scale of antisemitism in the party had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons.”
In the letter, he also asks the former leader to confirm that he will remove or edit his response to the EHRC report - which he posted on Facebook - and asks for an assurance that he will cooperate fully with the party as it seeks to implement the EHRC's recommendations.
Mr Brown, writing to Mr Corbyn on Monday, said that to inform an investigation into whether the Islington North MP broke the party’s code of conduct he wanted him to consider apologising for his comments.
He confirmed the suspension will last at least three months while an investigation takes place into whether Mr Corbyn has broken the MPs’ code of conduct.
In Monday’s letter, Mr Brown said the ex-leader’s statement “in particular, the implications that this form of racism is ‘exaggerated’ and that it is media reporting of that racism, rather than the actual impact on its victims, that hurt Jewish people – caused significant distress to many, in particular Jewish members of the Labour party and the wider Jewish community”.
He wrote to Mr Corbyn asking: “Will you unequivocally, unambiguously and without reservation apologise for your comments made on the morning of 29 October 2020, in particular for saying ‘One antisemite is one too many, but 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’, which caused such distress and pain to Jewish members of the Labour Party and the wider Jewish community?”
The JC has learned that the whip was withdrawn from Mr Corbyn last week on Sir Keir Starmer’s insistence alone following a meeting with the chief whip.
There are claims Sir Keir's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has enaged in conversations with representatives of the ex-leader over his return to the party.
