Emily Thornberry hit out at Rebecca Long-Bailey during the Newsnight hustings for the next Labour leader, accusing her of not doing enough to hold Jeremy Corbyn to account over the party’s antisemitism crisis while she was in the shadow cabinet.
During a heated exchange, Ms Thornberry said that both she and fellow candidate Sir Keir Starmer regularly called for reports to the shadow cabinet.
When asked whether she was saying Ms Long-Bailey had not, Ms Thornberry responded: “No, I don’t think Rebecca did, but Keir and I did.”
Katie Razzall: Are you saying Rebecca didn't [ask for reports on anti-Semitism in the Labour Party]?
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) February 12, 2020
🗣️@EmilyThornberry: "No I don't think Rebecca did, but Keir and I did regularly."
🗣️@RLong_Bailey: "Rebecca did, I think you'll find."#Newsnight | @katierazz pic.twitter.com/WgeX6XdtRS
Ms Long-Bailey, who was shadow business secretary under Mr Corbyn, replied: “Er, Rebecca did I think you’ll find,” to which Ms Thornberry said: “Sorry, I don’t remember.”
During the debate, Ms Thornberry championed herself and Sir Keir for having “regularly called out antisemitism in my party,” while Ms Long-Bailey said she would sign up to the Board of Deputies’ 10 pledges on tackling antisemitism if she became leader.
Ms Long-Bailey has been accused of representing the "continuity Corbyn" candidate for her leftwing stance and support from many of the outgoing leader's allies, though she currently trails behind Sir Keir by number of Constituency Labour Parties (CLP) nominations.
Ms Thornberry is the only of the four remaining candidates yet to reach the required 33 CLP nominations needed by Friday’s deadline to make it on to the ballot for the election, which will conclude on April 4.
