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Labour suspends member who branded two MPs 'sh*t-stirring c** buckets paid by Israel'
It was ahead of meeting where MPs urged party to commit to 'fully independent complaints process for all allegations of racism'
April 9, 2019 07:51
It was ahead of meeting where MPs urged party to commit to 'fully independent complaints process for all allegations of racism'
April 9, 2019 07:51Labour has suspended a party member who branded two female Jewish MPs “a couple of sh*t-stirring c** buckets bought and paid for by Israel”.
The same activist also accused both MPs - Ruth Smeeth and Dame Margaret Hodge - of being “cretinous pieces of s**t” who needed to “f**k off back under their stones.”
Party General Secretary Jennie Formby confirmed the suspension in a message to Labour MPs on Monday night only minutes before the weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP).
Ms Formby wrote: ”While we cannot go into details about individual cases, in the case that involves abuse towards two MPs, the individual is suspended.
“In the most extreme case, involving despicable language, the individual is suspended from party membership and being subjected to an ongoing disciplinary process.
“This case is being treated extremely seriously by the party and we hope the NCC will hear it soon as a matter of urgency.”
Details of the abuse directed at the two MPs had emerged in the Sunday Times expose this weekend, which alleged massive failings in the party's disciplinary processes.
Ms Formby is not believed to have informed Ms Smeeth or Dame Margaret about the decision to suspend the activist responsible for the vile taunts ahead of the statement she released to the PLP.
At Monday night’s PLP meeting, an emergency motion, tabled by five MPs, urged the leadership to commit to a “fully independent complaints process for all allegations of racism, bullying and harassment by party members”.
It also called for Labour to provide full disclosure of evidence used in the Sunday Times report.
The motion was proposed by Ms Smeeth, who was is also the new parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, Stella Creasy, Catherine McKinnell, Dame Margaret and Wes Streeting.
Labour's press office had claimed the newspaper had selectively quoted emails to misrepresent them in Sunday’s expose.
The PLP motion urged the leadership to prove this claim.
The motion also called for the party to “make a public statement of solidarity with the Jewish Labour Movement following its 100th year of affiliation to the Labour Party and a full response to the resolutions passed at its recent AGM.”
If it makes the agenda, Labour’s parliamentary committee will consider adopting the motion on Wednesday or it will be debated and voted on a next Monday’s PLP meeting.
In her letter to MPs, Ms Formby accepted how serious some of the allegations in the Sunday Times report were but said it was also “selective and misrepresentative.”
She added that this caused “considerable distress to staff members who are working hard to stamp out antisemitism in our Party”.
Ms Formby also dismissed as “categorically untrue”, claims that the Leader’s office had been involved in approving, delaying or blocking at least 101 complaints.
She wrote: “The full email chain shows a staff member in the Governance and Legal Unit make clear it’s right and appropriate that Jennie Formby had ended the practice of the Leader’s Office being asked for help with cases.”
After the meeting, one Jewish MP told the JC that PLP colleagues meeting had been overwhelmingly supportive of continued protests about the Party’s failure to get to grips with its antisemitism.
But there was anger over Ms Formby’s statement with claims she was trying to portray “those under attack as the wrong doers.”
