But Labour peer says he 'inherited' being a Labour supporter, which he calls one of the three bedrocks of his childhood along with Spurs and the United Synagogue
July 10, 2019 07:53
Lord Maurice Glasman has spoken of the “constant battle” against left-wing antisemitism and insisted “deep down the reason I am Labour is that I inherited it.”
In a revealing interview, the Labour peer admitted “friends and family” were now “really scared” of Jeremy Corbyn's party but he said his own message to them was “don’t be afraid, make alliances – make friends.”
As an academic and adviser to former Labour leader Ed Miliband, Lord Glasman said that his own background on the left had left him encountering anti-Jewish sentiment “my whole life.”
“Things can get very bad,” he said. “There’s always been an element on the left that does have that kind of conspiracy theory of capitalism and the Jews.
“Then you’ve got Israel and the Israel lobby. I’ve had to deal with that my whole life."
“Always the dilemma for me was to asset the opposition to the rule of the rich, to assert the importance of democracy without descending into conspiracy theory.
“That it is the Jews that control things, and in Africa it was the Asians. Capitalism as being controlled by an ethnic minority.
“It’s a constant battle to maintain the integrity of the position without being antisemitic. The issue really is are we going to have democratic control over capital.”
In conversation with LBC host Ian Dale, the JLS old boy, who grew up in an Orthodox family in Palmers Green, north London, said that despite the historical reality of left antisemitism he remained “committed to full Jewish participation and Jewish ethics in Labour.
“Caring for your family, building your community – a huge inspiration to me is Jewish socialist history.”
Lord Glasman jokingly said he was brought up within “a dead tribe, the Jewish working class” which had left him exposed to just “three institutions – the United Synagogue, the Labour Party and then there was Spurs”.
He added: “I think deep down the reason I am Labour is that I inherited it.”
The 58-year-old also argued his Labour values continued to pull him firmly into a pro-Brexit stance, arguing against the alleged excess influence of wealthy individuals such as George Soros on the lives of ordinary people across Europe.
“I attacked George Soros and suddenly I was even accused of being antisemitic," he said in the interview. “Brexit can be seen as potentially antisemitic – if it’s viewed as xenophobic and racist.”
Lord Glasman said it would be a “tragic moment” were the Labour leadership to adopt a pro-Remain stance – something that became a reality only days after he gave his interview.
He suggested Brexit is “a class issue” and that, while conducting his own “Brexit work” in the north of England, antisemitism was rarely an issue on the ground.
The Blue Labour project also meant he was “fortunate” to have less contact with the current Labour leadership these days, he said.
By way of a comparison he says: “George Graham became manager of Spurs, and I still went to games."
Just not on a Saturday, it would seem.
Lord Glasman said: “The Sabbath day, the day of rest, a day where you can defy the power of money is probably the greatest Jewish creation to the world.”
“You can bring your phone to work but take a day off a week is my fundamental belief.”
