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Labour NEC meeting in 'complete shambles' as it struggles to agree wording of antisemitism clause
'We will vote on something in the end. But your guess is as good as mine as to what it will be'
September 4, 2018 15:14
'We will vote on something in the end. But your guess is as good as mine as to what it will be'
September 4, 2018 15:14A meeting of Labour’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) to discuss the approval of an internationally recognised definition of antisemitism was described as a “complete shambles” on Tuesday afternoon.
Sources told the JC that it decided to call at temporary halt to proceedings at around 3.30pm after the ruling body – which includes leader Jeremy Corbyn and general secretary Jennie Formby – failed to agree the wording of a so-called “free speech clause” to be adopted by the Party alongside the IHRA definition of antisemitism with all of its examples.
Moderate NEC members including Deputy Leader Tom Watson were also said to favour a move to have Peter Willman – exposed by the JC over his comments accusing 70 rabbis of making false allegations of antisemitism – booted off the NEC.
But sources told the JC that there were fears this could turn Mr Willsman into “some kind of martyr” for the pro-Corbyn camp. But there were claims he was asked to wait outside the room while his situation was discussed.
One insider said: "The discussion over the antisemitism code was meant to been concluded at around 2.15pm with a vote on the proposal.
“What is astonishing is that despite briefing supportive news organisations on Monday afternoon about the clause – by Tuesday afternoon the wording hadn’t even been agreed.”
In a further sign of the Labour leadership’s failure to get to grips with the on-going antisemitism crisis, the advanced agenda for Wednesday’s shadow cabinet meeting showed there was no plan to discuss the issue or the IHRA code then either.
On Sunday Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger had called for Mr Corbyn’s shadow cabinet to hold a crisis meeting on what she described as the “sickening summer of antisemitism.”
Labour’s NEC reconvened on Tuesday and were expected to continue discussing the antisemitism code.
A source told he JC: "We will vote on something in the end. But your guess is as good as mine as to what it will be.”
Labour’s NEC had been expected to vote to dilute the internationally recognised definition of antisemitism – by inserting their own “free speech clause” which encourages extreme criticism of the state of Israel.
Earlier, Stephen Kinnock, the MP for Aberavon, who has previously called for Mr Corbyn to take more action over allegations of antisemitism in Labour, said the NEC should be wary of issuing new clarifications.
“I think that the NEC should simply adopt the full IHRA definition and all of its examples,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“I don’t personally think that now is the time to be putting in additions and qualifications. That’s pouring more fuel on the fire, and that’s the last thing we should be doing right now.”
John Mann, the Bassetlaw MP who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on antisemitism, said the leadership had agreed to “mess around with a very humdrum, mundane definition of antisemitism that left parties across the world have been happy to accept along with everyone else”.
