UK Labour suspends Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism report

[T_i_B]

Source: BBC

Labour has suspended Jeremy Corbyn after an inquiry found the party responsible for "unlawful" harassment and discrimination when he was leader.

The UK's human rights watchdog, in its report on anti-Semitism in the party, also said his office had "politically interfered" in the complaints process.

Afterwards, Mr Corbyn said the scale of anti-Semitism within Labour had been "dramatically overstated".

Labour then said it was suspending him for a "failure to retract" his remarks. Mr Corbyn's successor as leader, Sir Keir Starmer, said the publication the Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) report had brought "a day of shame" for the party.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54730425

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Want to know how we ended up with a useless incompetent moron like Boris Johnson as UK Prime Minister? Because his main opponent at last year's general election was Jeremy Corbyn. Easily the worst leader of the Labour party ever, whose time in the role was dogged by factional infighting, failure to stand up to the Tories over the disastrous project to leave the EU and endless anti-Semitism scandals.

[My Pet Orangutan]

1. Micheal Foot is up there for worst labour leader

Not an antisemite, no, but the 1983 manifesto included promises

Immediate nuclear disarmament
Immediate withdrawal from the EEC
Nationalization of the banks
Abolish the House of Lords

[T_i_B]

7. That was 1983

By 1993 Labour was on the rise under John Smith and the Tories were struggling with sleaze and the repercussions of Black Wednesday.

As bad as Foot was, he didn't lurch from one anti-Semitism scandal to another.

[My Pet Orangutan]

8. Fixed. ty.

[Myrddin]

15. John Smith - the best Prime Minister we never had.

I know it's well worn, but it's always worth repeating.

[Polybius]

20. Wow, that's insane radical left

They make our left look like conservatives. 😂

[shotten99]

2. In all fairness, I thought the anti-Semitism charges were exaggerated

I never saw evidence of it, but then again, I wasn't watching closely enough.

[JI7]

3. not exaggerated at all

[TheRickles]

12. Could you provide a link, showing how bad it was? Thanks

[My Pet Orangutan]

18. 'Investigation finds unlawful acts of discrimination and harassment'

Investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party finds unlawful acts of discrimination and harassment

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-work/news/investigation-antisemitism-labour-party-finds-unlawful-acts-discrimination-and

[TheRickles]

22. Thanks for the link, but this report is so oriented to bureaucratic process

that it's hard to know what was actually done or not done that was so egregious. The only specific acts described were some social media posts by 2 Labour politicians that included "antisemitic tropes". What did they actually say, that merited such a harsh penalty for the leader of the party to which they belonged? I'm biased because I liked Corbyn, saw him as a UK parallel to Bernie in the sense of being able to push his party further leftward. Same as with Bernie, there was strong institutional and media resistance, so I'm concerned that this expulsion was part of that process. I'm also Jewish, FWIW, and have seen the "antisemitism" being weaponized all over the place.

[JI7]

23. Both have failed to do anything to actually get things done other than help people like Boris into

office .

[TheRickles]

25. Interesting comments to an article in today's Guardian (UK) about this issue.

Several commentators note the vagueness of the allegations against Corbyn, and the possibility that the more centrist Blairite wing of the Labour Party was behind these efforts to besmirch Corbyn (a life-long anti-racist campaigner). There's a strong parallel to the Clinton/DNC faction of the Democratic Party working to undermine Bernie (I know that view isn't popular on DU, but I think that dynamic was in play - the Establishment feeling threatened by an increasingly popular outsider-turned-insider). And the party establishments' not embracing their leftist wings led to Johnson and Trump getting elected, IMO>

Here's one comment:
I have been reading the 850 page leaked Labour party report into antisemitism. Two things emerge so far:
1. the contention that around half the complaints/allegations during the period 2018-19 came from a single serial source who seemed to be acting maliciously to overwhelm the system, many of the allegations being repeated or spurious. This would, if the case, suggest that Corbyn is right in his assertion that the numbers are exaggerated;
2. The utterly toxic atmosphere in Labour HQ among Blairite officials determined to oust the democratically elected LOTO, with the implication that there was delaying/obstructing of the leadership's moves to deal with the issue. This changed in 2018 with change of staff and actions by Formby, as was recognised by the EHRC several times in their report.

Makes sense to me.

[My Pet Orangutan]

4. Not exaggerated. Shameful.

[T_i_B]

6. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has released it's report into Labour's anti-Semitism issues

It was pretty damming, and Corbyn's attempts to downplay and evade responsibility for the issues have caused him to be suspended from the party he used to lead a few months ago.

[ananda]

5. I don't know how Corbyn lasted so long.

I've been wanting him gone for a long time.

[Jose Garcia]

9. Wow. Sounds like Labour actually wants to start winning elections

[Initech]

10. He'd fit right in with the Trump administration.

[Polybius]

21. No he wouldn't

Trump is a racist Republican and Corbyn is radical left. They would hate each other.

[Happy Hoosier]

11. Corbyn has managed to almost single-handedly cripple the UK labour party.

And WAY too many "progressives" cheered him on.

[BlueIdaho]

14. It's going to be a long trudge back to relevancy for Labour.

The ability of voters to join other viable parties is making it even worse.

[Steelrolled]

16. I've never fully understood the process of selecting (and removing) party leaders

It seemed like everyone knew Corbyn was a disaster, except those who somehow kept him in power.

[T_i_B]

17. Cultism

Last edited Fri Oct 30, 2020, 10:23 AM - Edit history (2)

The movement surrounding Corbyn was quite cultish and put loyalty to Corbyn ahead of everything else.

It wasn't a small movement either. Corbyn had significant grassroots support that dominated Labour. And Corbyn's supporters were often quite myopic with their focus on internal Labour Party issues above stuff that actually mattered to voters.

There was a leadership contest following the disastrous EU referendum, and Corbyn's lacklustre performance in that campaign, but the organisational network surrounding Corbyn, and the influx of new Labour members personally devoted to Corbyn ensured that the leadership challenge never really had a chance.

[NorthOf270]

19. Labour desperately needs an Obama or Trudeau type

Corbyn was a disaster.

[JI7]

24. Even a Macron type would help

He is more Center fiscally but clearly on the right side when it comes to issues of social justice .