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Member of Labour's ruling body attacks Dame Louise Ellman for quitting party
Jewish MP left over antisemitism but NEC member prompts fury with dismissive response
October 17, 2019 07:52
Jewish MP left over antisemitism but NEC member prompts fury with dismissive response
October 17, 2019 07:52A member of Labour's ruling body has been condemned after she dismissed Dame Louise Ellman's claims about antisemitism in the party "demonstratively false".
Dame Louise announced her shock resignation from the party after 55 years as a member on Wednesday, condemning Jeremy Corbyn for making antisemitism "mainstream" under his leadership.
She is the second female Jewish MP to quit the party over antisemitism this year after Luciana Berger.
But Lara McNeill, a student doctor and youth representative on Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC), said Dame Louise had chosen to "sit on the fence" by resigning and called her claim Mr Corbyn had failed to act "demonstratively false".
We are faced with an imminent election after a decade of Tory devastation. The choice is Johnson or Corbyn - and you choose to sit on the fence.
— Lara McNeill (@lara_eleanor) October 16, 2019
Imagine writing that Jeremy Corbyn has spent decades “not confronting antisemitism and Holocaust deniers”... demonstratively false. https://t.co/HMTdcQLpx5
She wrote on Twitter: "How can you think that the phrase 'What a Corbyn government might mean for Britain’s Jews' is a proportionate response and doesn’t simply whip up panic amongst many.
"Don’t ignore antisemitism, don’t ignore this Conservative government actively inciting racism and don’t ignore Labour’s - and Corbyn’s - record showing what a Labour government would actually mean for equality and anti-discrimination."
Her comments were immediately condemned.
The Holocaust Educational Trust's chief executive Karen Pollock replied: "Louise is a victim of racism. Bullied out as a Jewish woman. This astonishing response... says it all. Absolutely disgusting. Sadly demonstrative of the huge problem the party has."
“Sit on the fence”? Louise is a victim of racism. Bullied out as a Jewish woman. This astonishing response from someone who sits on the ruling executive of @UKLabour says it all. Absolutely disgusting. Sadly demonstrative of the huge problem the Party has... https://t.co/VFNbrvrajM
— Karen Pollock (@KarenPollock100) October 16, 2019
Emily Benn, a former Labour candidate and granddaughter of late leftwinger Tony Benn, asked if Ms McNeill's reply was the "official" party response, adding if it were, "Labour is done for and deserves to be."
This is an Official Labour Response? Then Labour is done for. And deserves to be https://t.co/hmUtkpsyZK
— Emily Benn (@Emily_Benn) October 16, 2019
Ms McNeill later defended her comments as her "personal view" and repeated she disagreed with Dame Louise's letter suggesting a Corbyn premiership would be bad for British Jews.
She asked: "Am I not entitled to disagree with that?"
Obviously this is my personal view Liron - and I’m not sure how it constitutes the scale of your accusations. Would you use the phrases in the letter that suggest British Jews should be worried by the election of Jeremy Corbyn? Even if so, am I not entitled to disagree with that?
— Lara McNeill (@lara_eleanor) October 16, 2019
Izzy Lenga, a former member of Labour's NEC, replied: "No. You're not Jewish."
No. You’re not Jewish.
— Izzy Lenga (@izzyjengalenga) October 16, 2019
