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Pro-Israel MP Joan Ryan loses vote of no confidence after challenging Corbyn on antisemitism

'This was about antisemitism in Labour and those of us who have stood by the Jewish community'

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Joan Ryan, the chair of Labour Friends of Israel, has narrowly lost a vote of no confidence at her local constituency party after left-wing activists accused her of “smearing Jeremy Corbyn”.

Ms Ryan, the MP for Enfield North and vocal critic over Mr Corbyn on the party's antisemitism, lost by 94 votes to 92 on Thursday.

She said that the narrow margin was “hardly a decisive victory and it never occurred to me that Trots Stalinists Communists and assorted hard left would have confidence in me. I have none in them.”

She added: “I will be out tomorrow morning working hard for the people of Enfield.”

In a statement, she said: "This was about antisemitism in the Labour party and those of us who have stood by the Jewish community and said 'enough is enough'. I made no apologies last night for that and I make no apologies now.

"I will continue to speak out against antisemitism, against the campaign to demonise and delegitimise the world's only Jewish state, and for a Labour party which is true to its values of anti-racism, respect and decency."

She added: "Labour needs to decide: it's either an aspiring party of government focused laser-like on the priorities of the British people - Brexit, an economy which works for everyone, and rebuilding our austerity-starved public services.

"Or it's a party fighting with itself about ideological purity, arguing with the Jewish community about what constitutes antisemitism, and going down a rabbit warren of deselection, purges and harassment. It can't be both.

"The Labour party is tearing itself to pieces and in the process it is tearing down the very people it needs the most.”

Party members had accused her of contributing to a “trial by media” of the party leader and called for an open selection process to choose another parliamentary candidate.

In a bizarre twist, Iranian broadcaster Press TV, which previously counted Mr Corbyn as a frequent guest, was present at the meeting and filming it.

The motion submitted to Ms Ryan’s local party said: “Our MP has smeared his character without him having the right to a fair and balanced defence.”

Accusing her of acting like “an independent MP in all but name”, the activists behind it said she “has fuelled and indeed inflamed trial by media” of the Labour boss.

Telegraph journalist Harry Yorke said a Labour contact texted him saying Ms Ryan's defeat was "the cost of standing up against antisemitism".

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has warned against threats of deselection.

The shadow chancellor said fighting antisemitism “cannot be grounds for deselection. These people are speaking out on antisemitism and are doing it with the best of hearts. They’ve got to be supported.”

Ms Ryan, who was first elected in 1997, has been a vocal critic of Mr Corbyn in recent weeks.

Writing for the JC last week, Ms Ryan said she was “appalled” at Mr Corbyn’s failure to tackle antisemitism and his association with hardline Palestinian groups.

Ms Ryan, who is not Jewish herself, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel for many years.

It comes as Tony Blair said he was "not sure it is possible" for Labour "moderates" to take the party back from the left.

Speaking to the BBC's Nick Robinson for his Political Thinking podcast, the former Labour leader said the party had been through a "profound change" under Mr Corbyn.

"It is a different type of Labour Party. Can it be taken back? I don't know," he said.

He said the British people would never elect Mr Corbyn as prime minister and hinted at the emergence of a new "progressive, moderate" party.

Mr Blair said: "I don't think the British people will tolerate a situation where, for example, the choice at the next election is Boris Johnson versus Jeremy Corbyn.

"I don't know what will happen and I don't know how it will happen.

"But I just don't believe people will find that, in the country as a whole, an acceptable choice. Something will fill that vacuum."

Speaking about the antisemitism row that has engulfed the party, he said it was "something that I just can't imagine ever having happened in the Labour Party that I joined.

"I can't imagine that we have had three to four months debating over something where we have profoundly insulted the Jewish community in our country.”

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