It is good news that Labour has finally kicked Ken Loach out of the party.
The Jewish Chronicle has been writing about him for decades. Back in 1987 the Royal Court Theatre dropped his production of the revolting play Perdition, which accused Zionists of collaborating with the Nazis.
After a speaker at a Labour Party conference fringe meeting was accused of Holocaust denial, Loach said “history is for us all to discuss”. He claimed allegations of antisemitism were designed to undermine Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership as if we were so worried about plans to nationalise the railways or increase the minimum wage, that we invented it all! When a few Labour MPs supported the Jewish community’s extraordinary “Enough is Enough” demonstration in 2018, he said we should be deselected.
Despite all that, Loach claims he was shown the door because he would not “disown those already expelled.” He said he was “proud to stand with the good friends and comrades victimised by the purge” after the leadership banned four groups that dismissed anti-Jewish racism in the party as fabricated or exaggerated to undermine Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
The truth is that he should have been kicked out long ago – and Labour now need to take action against hard-left MPs and Momentum who are demanding he be let back in.
25 hard-left MPs and Peers from the Socialist Campaign Group – including Corbyn - signed a statement describing Loach as an “outstanding socialist” and a “fierce opponent of discrimination in all its forms.”
Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell described the expulsion as a “disgrace”, and Coventry MP Zarah Sultana said it was “shameful”.
Starmer should now take a leaf out of Boris Johnson’s book and kick all of them out too. Whether you agreed with him or not, the public and his party finally realised the Conservative leader was serious about Brexit when he removed the whip from MPs who were standing in his way and dealing with his party’s hard left would have the same impact for the Labour leader now.
After he’s dealt with them, he should turn his attention to Momentum which has also rallied to the Loach cause.
Momentum’s co-chair and director Gaya Sriskanthan believes the expulsion was “designed” to “demoralise and flush out” the left. Mick Moore, who also serves on Momentum’s National Co-ordinating Group, said Loach’s expulsion “sickens” him. Fellow officer Solma Ahmed is “heartbroken” while Alan Gibbons thinks there should be a “special honour at Labour party conference” for him.
And Momentum’s branches are taking their lead from the top. Camden Momentum has declared Loach a “national treasure”.
Starmer needs to go further when dealing with councillors and members too.
Just last week, decent Brighton councillor Peter Atkinson quit the party in protest at the readmission of Councillor Anne Pissaridou who had been suspended for sharing material picturing Jacob Rothschild and referring to the collapse of the banking system and an article claiming “pro-Israel propagandists have ‘taken out contract’ to stop Jeremy Corbyn being elected.”
What is someone like that doing in a mainstream political party and how on earth did the tough new processes Labour tells us have been introduced allow her back in?
25 years year ago, whilst working on Tony Blair’s election campaign, I learnt that successful leaders need to take big, bold, dramatic decisions to show the public they understand their concerns and are dealing with them.
That’s what’s needed now. Strong, determined and decisive leadership to show millions of lifelong Labour voters and members of the Jewish community who turned away in disgust at extremism and antisemitism that Labour really has changed.
Lord Austin is Chairman of Mainstream, the campaign against extremism
