Bury South MP Ivan Lewis has met Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to discuss the party’s anti-semitism storm - warning his party lost seats in Prestwich last week as a direct result.
Mr Lewis put to the Labour leader a ‘five point plan’ to tackle prejudice towards Jews within Labour, telling him his constituents wanted their concerns put forward.
He warned Mr Corbyn that those attacking the actions of Israel were increasingly using anti-semitic and ‘deeply offensive’ language.
His meeting came after Ken Livingstone’s comments about Hitler shortly before the election prompted his suspension and a vicious row within the party.
An independent review into anti-semitism within Labour was set up in the days that followed.
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Despite that, Labour lost two heavily-Jewish council seats in Prestwich - in Mr Lewis’s constituency - last Thursday night, a result he put down directly to the storm.
He said: “I have been contacted by many party members and supporters in recent weeks across Greater Manchester who have asked me to make their views known directly to Jeremy.
“We had a positive meeting today and I am hopeful robust action will follow the independent inquiry.
“We discussed the high level of concern in my constituency and across Greater Manchester at recent examples of anti-semitism from people in the Labour Party. I pointed out to Jeremy that we lost council seats in Bury as a result of a protest vote on this issue by former Labour voters.”
He said the ‘vast majority’ of Labour members were not anti-semitic but added there was a ‘serious problem’ among a minority that needed tackling ‘decisively’.
The plan put forward to Mr Corbyn includes changing the party’s constitution to explicitly include zero tolerance of all kinds of racism, the establishment of a new Jewish, Muslim and ethnic minority forum on racism, and a new non-aligned ‘Labour for Middle East’ organisation to support a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Labour and Jeremy Corbyn
He also wants Labour to make clear that zero tolerance to anti-semitism runs alongside zero tolerance of both the views and violence of organisations such as Hamas and Hezbollah - and for all members ‘held fully to account for racism and/or offensive statements targeted at one section of the population’.
Following the backlash against Mr Livingstone’s remarks, in which he said Hitler had supported Zionism, some within the party claimed the storm had been whipped up by Jeremy Corbyn’s enemies.
It was also claimed the row was an attempt to suppress criticism of Israel and its government’s actions.
But Mr Lewis said: “I believe people must have the right to criticise the Israeli government without being labelled anti-semitic.
“However, Jews cannot be held responsible for the actions of the government and attacks on Israel as a country, Israeli citizens and Jewish supporters of Israel increasingly include language and imagery which is anti-semitic and deeply offensive.
“As the party of equality, anti-discrimination and diversity, Labour has a particular responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to zero tolerance of all forms of racism.”
