Before becoming leader of the Labour party in September 2015, Jeremy Corbyn will have anticipated a fractious experience ahead. Labour leaders have almost always presided over party divisions, many of which have spilled over into crisis. For Corbyn, who swept to victory on the back of overwhelming support of the party membership despite unprecedented hostility from his backbenches, division was all the more likely.
Such expectations proved accurate, especially in relation to allegations of antisemitism that plagued Corbyn’s tenure as leader. Corbyn’s critics lamented his reluctance to acknowledge the problem existed, his dithering response once he did, and propensity to inflame the matter further. Corbyn’s supporters, on the other hand, adhered to his view that the scale of the problem was being exaggerated for factional reasons. For them, any blame for the delays in dealing with antisemitism lay with the supposedly Blairite-controlled Governance and Legal Unit (GLU).
Since succeeding Corbyn as leader, Keir Starmer has been praised for moving quickly to eradicate antisemitism. Starmer removed the whip from Corbyn for implying that accusations of antisemitism were factionally motivated, sacked shadow minister Rebecca Long-Bailey for sharing an article containing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, and implemented a new independent complaints system equipped to handle sensitive cases. However, Starmer’s detractors suggest he has used antisemitism as cover for a ruthless purge of Corbynism and operates a “strange amnesty” when dealing with allegations of other forms of prejudice, such as towards Muslims and people of colour.
