Jeremy Corbyn faces furious backlash from staff over handling of anti-Semitism doc

Labour's leadership is facing a furious backlash from the party’s own staff over its treatment of staff over the anti-Semitism crisis.

More than 200 current and former party workers signed a stinging letter calling on Jeremy Corbyn to “own” the “moral responsibility for Labour ’s anti-Semitism crisis”  or “give it away to someone who will.”

Last week’s programme included claims that senior figures, including Jeremy Corbyn’s communications chief Seumas Milne and general secretary Jennie Formby, interfered in anti-Semitism investigations.

And the explosive documentary featured testimony from former employees explaining how their mental health had been affected leading to breakdowns, depression and anxiety and the former head of disputes Sam Matthews describing how he considered suicide by walking off the roof of Labour’s London HQ.

The GMB union has contacted party staff offering them the opportunity to attend a “one to one drop-in session” with an employment law specialist.

The branch of the union which represents Labour employees is also set to debate a motion at a meeting on Thursday condemning Labour’s treatment of staff over the crisis.

It described a culture which led to staff to have breakdowns as “reprehensible and a source of great shame”.

The motion, which will de debated at a meeting on Thursday, describes the anti-Semitism in the party as a "cancer".

Antisemitism is a cancer which will spread if given the freedom to do so. It should be condemned and challenged wherever it rears its head

It adds "Whistleblowers do so at enormous personal risk and should be commended and supported, never attacked – particularly not by the Labour Party".

This afternoon Jeremy Corbyn paid a visit to Labour's Southside HQ to talk to staff.

But allies claimed it wasn't prompted by staff outrage but was instead "his usual walk around the floors".

Meanwhile, Labour’s leaders in the House of Lords have written to Mr Corbyn offering peers to investigate antisemitism in the party and advise on a new complaints system.

The letter was signed by Labour’s leader in the Lords, Angela Smith, Tommy McAvoy, the chief whip, plus Diane Hayter, deputy Lords leader, and Toby Harris, chairman of the peers group.

They wrote: “It is now a toxic and endemic problem that we have failed to eradicate. Whatever action has been taken has failed to give confidence to Jewish and non-Jewish members alike that there is an absolute determined will to effectively deal with their concerns.”

The peers have warned Mr Corbyn that without decisive leadership it is a “cancer that will continue to grow”

It comes as a Labour councillor in Mr Corbyn’s own constituency quit the party over saying it has “singularly failed ot adequately address the scourge of anti-Semitism”.

Gary Poole, who represents St Mary’s Ward on Islington council, said there is “something very wrong when Tom Watson is vilified for his efforts to address the problem”.

The staff letter called on Mr Corbyn to answer a series of tough questions about his handling of the crisis.

These include: “Did you know your most senior aides were interfering in anti-Semitism cases and overruling the staff assigned to investigate them? Why has Labour HQ become such a toxic workplace? Why do you think your own words and actions have caused so much offence to Jewish people? Why are so many anti-Semites drawn to support you? And why has this crisis developed only after you became leader?”

Labour chiefs said the Panorama programme, which carried allegations key aides to Jeremy Corbyn interfered in anti-Semitism complaints, was “heavily slanted and inaccurate” and should be removed. It comes as the union branch of Labour staff is set to debate a motion on Thursday condemning the party’s response to the documentary. It described a culture which led to staff to have breakdowns as “reprehensible and a source of great shame”.

The Parliamentary Labour Party, which meets on Monday, is expected to condemn Mr Corbyn and the wider leadership for targeting whistleblowers who spoke to the BBC’s Panorama documentary.

The Tribune Group of MPs, which includes Yvette Cooper, Stephen Kinnock, Dan Jarvis, Debbie Abrahams, Owen Smith and Justin Madders, will demand the party establish an independent complaints process.

Mr Corbyn was not set to attend the meeting with Shadow Brexit Secretary due to update colleagues on the party’s Brexit policy instead.

It comes amid mounting tensions between Deputy Leader Tom Watson and Mr Corbyn, and the leader’s key allies.

Mr Watson faced a backlash after he wrote to general secretary Jennie Formby about anti-Semitism in Labour.

He said key evidence being submitted to the Equality and Human Rights Commission was withheld from him and Ms Formby had questions to answer about e-mails she deleted.

But she refuted the claims and attacked Mr Watson for criticising her while she undergoes cancer treatment - leading Unite union chief Len McCluskey to brand the leader a “f***ing disgrace”.

Over the weekend Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry criticised Mr Watson saying his “personal” attack on the general secretary was a “mistake” but instead she urged Labour to end the “soap opera” and focus on the “message, not the messengers”

Source: Mirror

Powered by NewsAPI.org

Keywords:

Jeremy Corbyn • Antisemitism • Antisemitism • Working class • Jeremy Corbyn • Antisemitism • Give It Away (Red Hot Chili Peppers song) • Jeremy Corbyn • Seumas Milne • Antisemitism • Employment • Mental health • Depression (mood) • Anxiety • Suicide • London • GMB (trade union) • Employment • Equal opportunity • Labour law • Trade union • Employment • Employment • Antisemitism • Antisemitism • Whistleblower • Labour Party (UK) • Jeremy Corbyn • Labour Party (UK) • Labour Party (UK) • House of Lords • House of Lords • Antisemitism • Labour Party (UK) • House of Lords • Angela Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon • Tommy McAvoy • Chief Whip • Dianne Hayter • Member of parliament • House of Lords • Toby Harris, Baron Harris of Haringey • Peerage • Endemic (epidemiology) • Judaism • Judaism • Neuroscience of free will • House of Lords • Jeremy Corbyn • Labour Party (UK) • Councillor • Antisemitism • Gary Poole • Islington London Borough Council • Tom Watson (Labour politician) • Antisemitism • Employment • Labour economics • Toxic workplace • Jews • Antisemitism • Adolf Hitler • Labour Party (UK) • Panorama (TV series) • Jeremy Corbyn • Antisemitism • Labour economics • Shame • Parliamentary Labour Party • Jeremy Corbyn • Whistleblower • BBC • Panorama (TV series) • Tribune (magazine) • Member of parliament • Yvette Cooper • Stephen Kinnock • Dan Jarvis • Debbie Abrahams • Owen Smith • Justin Madders • Independent politician • Jeremy Corbyn • Shadow Cabinet • Brexit • Political party • Brexit • Foreign policy • Tom Watson (Labour politician) • Jeremy Corbyn • General Secretary of the Labour Party • Antisemitism • Labour Party (UK) • Equality and Human Rights Commission • Unite the Union • Len McCluskey • Shadow Foreign Secretary • Emily Thornberry • Labour Party (UK) • Soap opera •