Skip to main content

Labour MPs vote on binding antisemitism rules as Jeremy Corbyn faces backlash over free speech clause

Proposed and seconded by Jewish Labour MPs, the vote may see the IHRA's antisemitism definition and examples all adopted.

Jeremy Corbyn doorstepped on 05/09
Image: Jeremy Corbyn faces a backlash over his proposed statement
Labour MPs are set to vote on binding the international definition of antisemitism closer to the party, amid a backlash against party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
They will be balloted on whether to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition and 11 examples of antisemitism in full.
It comes after Labour's ruling body approved the change to its code of conduct, to help investigate, suspend and expel members accused of discriminating against Jewish people.
Mr Corbyn faced the wrath of some groups for trying to add a statement saying it is not anti-Semitic to "describe Israel, its policies or the circumstances around its foundation as racist".
Activists outside a meeting of the Labour National Executive Committee in London
Image: Labour's NEC voted to adopt the IHRA definition and examples in full
Instead, a "free speech" clause was added to the code to ensure it "will not in any way undermine freedom of expression on Israel or the rights of Palestinians".
The vote by Labour MPs was called weeks before, and if passed would strengthen the party's stance against claims it is failing to tackle antisemitism.
Despite the move to end an issue that has dogged Labour all summer, Mr Corbyn's statement sparked anger from some.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Labour MP Margaret Hodge arrives to attend a press conference held by former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle in which Eagle announced her intention to challenge Jeremy Corbyn for leadership pf the Labour Party, on July 11, 2016 in London, England. Mr Corbyn has faced numerous frontbench resignations, but has said he would not betray the party members, who elected him last year, by standing down. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Image: Dame Margaret Hodge accused Jeremy Corbyn of making an 'unnecessary qualification'
The Labour Against Antisemitism campaign said it "appeared to be about protecting the freedom of racists to present vile views".
Dame Margaret Hodge added change's to Labour's code amounted to "two steps forward, one step back", asking: "Why dilute the welcome adoption in full of the IHRA definition of antisemitism with an unnecessary qualification?"
After Mr Corbyn's statement was withdrawn, a source told Sky News: "Team JC climbed down completely. The statement he proposed got completely scrapped."
Baroness Chakrabarti, Labour's shadow attorney general and the author of a 2016 report on antisemitism, said the statement was "only an exposition of the IHRA definition and examples themselves".
Shami Chakrabarti
Image: Shami Chakrabarti said the Labour leader was offering 'reassurance'
She said: "There are great supporters of the Israeli state, there are leading Jewish commentators who have been trying to say to us as a Labour party for months that you can except this definition and all of its examples and still be a vociferous critic of Israel.
"Jeremy was just making that reassurance around the table."

Comments

TRENDING

Wondering something to Eat "Bacon Explosion"

What is happening in the suez canal? Suez Canal Is Blocked by Container Ship Causing Huge Traffic Jam

Drinking Water Crisis in Rural Towns

Davido’s “Blow My Mind” Breaks Record, Hit 1 Million Views In 11 Hours!

Dooms Day Clock Tells How close The World is To Bad Times

ELANGA SIGNS A 5years contract with Manchester United

Bella Shmurda honors Mohbad with ‘KPK’ performance in UK

Popular posts from this blog

Wondering something to Eat "Bacon Explosion"

How to cook Bacon Explosion This concoction and Internet sensation came to The Times from Jason Day and Aaron Chronister, who created it shortly before Christmas one year in Roeland Park, Kan. They modestly call it “the BBQ Sausage Recipe of all Recipes.” It contains at least 5,000 calories and 500 grams of fat, but you don’t have to eat it all at once. It is not for vegetarians, ascetics or the faint of heart — instead, consider it a delicious challenge to your abilities at the grill. RECIPES FOR BACON 2   pounds thick-cut sliced bacon 1 ½   pounds Italian sausage, casings removed 3   tablespoons barbecue rub ¾   cup barbecue sauce HOW TO COOK BACON  STEP 1 Using 10 slices of bacon, weave a square lattice like that on top of a pie: first, place 5 bacon slices side by side on a large sheet of aluminum foil, parallel to one another, sides touching. Place another strip of bacon on one end, perpendicular to the other strips. Fold first, third and fifth bacon strips...

What is happening in the suez canal? Suez Canal Is Blocked by Container Ship Causing Huge Traffic Jam

Suez Canal Is Blocked by Container Ship Causing Huge Traffic Jam Authorities hope to dislodge the ship within hours as a backlog of vessels builds up on one of the world’s busiest waterways Evergreen’s Ever Given container ship stuck sideways in the Suez Canal, a vital trade route for oil and manufactured goods between Asia and Europe. Egyptian authorities worked to dislodge a giant container ship that remained stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking all traffic on one of the world’s busiest shipping arteries. Authorities hope to dislodge the ship within hours, according to an Egyptian official, as a flotilla of ships waited to resume voyages in both directions. Even if the ship is dislodged quickly, many idled vessels could still be delayed for days,  threatening a new pressure point  in a global supply chain already under intense strain. The Ever Given, a 400-meter (1,312 foot) container ship, Tuesday became stuck in the canal sideways, with its bow wedged in one bank and its ster...

Drinking Water Crisis in Rural Towns

Drinking water is essential for life, but many rural towns in the U.S. are struggling to provide safe and reliable water to their residents. For decades, these towns have neglected their drinking water systems, resulting in aging infrastructure, water quality violations, and financial challenges. In this blog post, we will explore some of the causes and consequences of this crisis, and what can be done to address it. Causes of the Crisis One of the main causes of the crisis is the shrinking population of many rural towns. As people move to urban areas or other states, the tax base and the customer base of the water systems decline. This means less revenue to cover the costs of operation, maintenance, and improvement of the water systems. According to a report by the American Bar Association³, in 2015, 9 percent of all water systems had a documented violation of water quality standards, exposing 21 million people to unhealthy drinking water. These violations were more likely to occur in...

Davido’s “Blow My Mind” Breaks Record, Hit 1 Million Views In 11 Hours!

Davido’s “Blow My Mind” Breaks Record, Hit 1 Million Views In 11 Hours! DMW Boss, Davido has set a new record after his new visual “Blow my Mind” featuring Chris Brown hit 1 million views in 11 hours on Youtube “Blow My Mind” which was released last week Friday has been trending heavily among music fans since it dropped, contributing to the excitement and anticipation towards the release of the video. It would be the first time in the history of Nigerian entertainment, not just music alone that any content dropped by a Nigerian who plies his/her trade within the industry on YouTube would amass 1 million views within half-a-day. The previous biggest record is 1 million views in 24 hours which has been achieved by a few Nigerian music artiste. By skunty empire