“Rather than confront the paramount need to deal with the profoundly serious issue of antisemitism in the [Labour] party, both factions treated it as a factional weapon.” So wrote Martin Forde KC in his landmark 2022 report into allegations of bullying, racism and sexism made during the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Nothing seems to have changed, according to the barrister. He thought Labour had acted in a “shambolic” manner in first backing and then dropping its Rochdale byelection candidate over his objectionable views. Labour had not acted on his report’s recommendation that disciplinary matters be handled in a “neutral and objective way”.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party had initially taken no action against its Blairite Muslim candidate Azhar Ali, who had espoused an antisemitic conspiracy theory during a meeting of the Lancashire Labour party. This despite his offence being more egregious than those committed by MPs on the left who had been swiftly suspended. Given that parliamentarians have been waiting months for decisions, Sir Keir’s uneven response invited cynicism and scorn. That explains why another (anti-Corbynite) Labour parliamentary candidate in Lancashire was swiftly suspended on Tuesday night over comments made about Israel.
