Labour’s descent into the sewers of British politics have convinced me of one thing: I will not be voting for any Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn or anyone like him. I think it’s time to be brutally honest about this. Quite apart from the party’s lurch to the extreme left fringes, resurrecting the failed slogans of the 1970s and 1980s, Labour has a more serious problem with racism.
Corbyn himself boasts of his anti-racist credentials. He has always opposed racism from the backbenches. His problem is that he appears to have abandoned part of his opposition to racism by allowing anti-Semitism.
First a fact. Labour has a problem with Jews. Not every single part of the party, or course, but it’s hardly just a few, either. Ken Livingstone has been baiting Jews for years, some highly unpleasant comrades have exhibited signs of anti-Semitism that Goebbels himself would be proud of. Only today, one of his fellow travellers Peter Hillsman has overstepped the mark. Corbyn has forgiven him because he apologised. But when opponents of anti-Semitism fight back, like Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin, the face disciplinary action from the party.
Comedy Labour figures like the Corbynista brown-noser in chief Chris Williamson dismiss anti-Semitism as some kind of attack on the sainted Corbyn himself. His publicist Owen Jones repeats the charge, as does Corbyn’s main trade union fixer Len McCluskey. It’s very ugly.
Quite frankly, any suggestion that opposing the far left’s Jew hating in Labour is merely about having a pop at Corbyn is a sick joke. There has always been a serious element of anti-Semitism on the far left and its inadequate leader is the perfect man to turn a blind eye to it. Shockingly, the former anti-racist campaigner Billy Bragg now says of Jews that they have “work to do” in order to build trust with Labour. No, William: it’s the other way round.
No one is comparing Labour with the Nazis – yet! – but do be aware of how these things start. This is way there can only be zero tolerance of anti-Semitism. A bit of intolerance would not be accepted in Labour if the group under attack were, say, muslims or Pakistanis, so why is it okay to attack the Jews?
Corbyn’s inaction speaks words. Granted, he is hopelessly out of his depth as Labour leader but it seems he won’t dare condemn any of his fellow travellers even when they behave in a racist way.
As so often in politics, the extremes usually find a place to meet in the end and that’s the same with anti-Semitism. I will never, ever, vote for a Labour Party which behaves like this.
