Another day, another round of infighting over claims of rampant anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry in the left-wing UK Labour Party.
This time lawmaker Ian Austin is facing action after he allegedly said Labour had become a “sewer” under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. The claim came during a heated debate about the hatred for Jews that is now defining party.
The allegation comes after a dossier was passed from the Jewish Labour Movement to the party showing a catalogue of anti-Jewish abuse on Facebook, the Sunday Times reported.
Mr. Austin is facing possible suspension after the argument with the party’s chairman Ian Lavery.
The MP for Dudley North, who is the adopted child of Jewish refugees, said it was a “heated discussion” about how the party tackles anti-Semitism.
“Did I scream abuse at anybody? No I didn’t,” he told BBC Radio 4.
He said he called Labour’s anti-Semitism code of conduct – which has been widely criticised by Jewish leaders and some MPs – a “disgrace”.
According to the Mail On Sunday, Mr. Austin, whose grandmother was killed in the Holocaust, also blasted: “Under this leadership, the Labour party has become a sewer.”
The newspaper claims the row was on the same day veteran Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge told Mr. Corbyn he’s a racist because of his failure to tackle anti-Semitism.
She was furious over Labour’s decision to adopt a new definition of anti-Semitism,which allows activists to compare Israel to Nazi Germany.
Confronting him in the Commons, she allegedly told him: “You’re a f*****g anti-Semite and a racist.”
Earlier this week, the UK’s three main Jewish newspapers united to publish the same front page, warning that a Corbyn-led government would pose an “existential threat to Jewish life”.
All up, Labour is currently probing 252 anti-Semitism allegations amongst its membership, elected representatives and the party leader as well as former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
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