Speaking at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival in Dorset this afternoon (pictured), Jeremy Corbyn urged MPs to delay a showdown over Labour anti-Semitism rules
Jeremy Corbyn today pleaded with furious Labour MPs to delay a showdown over controversial new anti-Semitism rules.
The leader has faced a massive backlash after new conduct rules drawn up amid a wave of vile abuse in the party stopped short of accepting the international definition of anti-Semitism.
Amid claims that activists will not be punished for common slurs such as comparing Israeli actions to those of the Nazis, veteran MP Margaret Hodge confronted Mr Corbyn at a meeting last week branding him an ‘anti-Semitic racist’.
MPs and peers are due to press an emergency motion on the issue at a gathering tomorrow before Parliament breaks for the summer. Allies of Mr Corbyn admitted that Labour has been in a ‘very dark place’ over its response to the problems.
But speaking at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival in Dorset this afternoon, the leader urged MPs to delay the motion until the autumn – bizarrely suggesting not enough people will turn up to stage a proper debate.
‘I’d rather they delayed that discussion until September because there will be a full attendance at meetings in September,’ the Labour leader said.
‘I suspect Monday’s meeting will not be fully attended because Parliament is rising on Tuesday.
‘I also think MPs should get full notice of that issue, but obviously the parliamentary party is quite free to debate it but, as with all functions of the Labour Party, ultimately, standing orders must be approved by the National Executive Committee and that cannot happen until the autumn.’
Mr Corbyn also revealed he had not spoken to Dame Margaret since she confronted him over the issue.
The MP – who lost family members in the Holocaust – is now facing a disciplinary probe for berating him as a ‘anti-Semitic racist’.
In a clear jibe at Dame Margaret today, Mr Corbyn said he was ‘always very calm’ and ‘treated people with respect’.
‘I felt not pleased about it, I felt upset about it but as always I am very calm and treat people with a great deal of respect,’ he said.
‘I don’t shout at people, I just listen to what they have to say.’
He added: ‘A complaint has been registered and that will have to be dealt with by the party, but that is independent of me.’
Mr Corbyn defended the position taken by Labour’s ruling NEC in not including within its new code of conduct the full definition of anti-Semitism – including illustrative examples – set out by the IHRA.
Veteran Labour MP Margaret Hodge – who lost family members in the Holocaust – is now facing a disciplinary probe for berating him as a ‘anti-Semitic racist’
Mr Corbyn (pictured at the festival today) defended the position taken by Labour’s ruling NEC in not including within its new code of conduct the full definition of anti-Semitism
Mr Corbyn laid a wreath on the grave of one of the martyrs during his visit to the festival today
‘(The NEC) wasn’t trying to re-write it, it has accepted almost all of it,’ he said. ‘What it’s done is also put alongside it a code of conduct for members of the party because we will not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form whatsoever in the party.
‘What we also agreed to do at the National Executive Committee is that we would have a consultation process now with a number of organisations.
‘I have written on Thursday this week to a very large number of organisations asking if we can have a discussion with them and talk to them and then bring it back and get it right.
‘I want us to deal with anti-Semitism in our society, as well as all of our parties, including my own.
‘What’s been done is an honest attempt to make sure that we do make it clear we will not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form and we will allow legitimate debate on issues facing Israel and Palestine, but it cannot ever be conducted in any anti-Semitic form.’
Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, an ally of Mr Corbyn, admitted that the party was in a ‘very dark place’ over anti_Semitism.
She also defended Dame Margaret’s right to ‘express her opinion’.
‘I wasn’t there when the so-called incident happened so I can’t comment on what was said, but what we do say in the party is that we treat colleagues with respect,’ she told the Andrew Marr Show.
‘But that’s not to say that it’s wrong for Margaret, if she did state those things to Jeremy, to express her opinion, it’s right to express opinions to the leader of the party.
She added: ‘I’m not sure where we’re up to in terms of what action is being taken, I just know that the matter’s being investigated, but as I say, within the party we’re expected to treat colleagues with respect and not to engage in personal attacks.
‘But as I said it’s not wrong for a colleague to express concerns to another colleague, it just has to be done in the appropriate way.’