LABOUR has reinstated Jeremy Corbyn’s membership following his suspension in a row over anti-Semitism.
The Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) said the veteran left-winger had been let off the hook.
The ex-leader of the opposition was suspended on the day of the publication of a damning report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission which said the party was “responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination” during his time in charge.
Responding to the criticism Corbyn then claimed that Labour’s anti-Semitism problem had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”.
That put the former Labour chief directly at odds with his successor.
Keir Starmer said those who “deny there is a problem are part of the problem".
But just 19 days after being kicked out for denying there was a problem, a panel from the Labour’s governing National Executive Committee agreed to let Corbyn back in.
Following his reinstatement, the Islington MP said: “I’m grateful to the many thousands of Labour Party members, trade unionists and supporters in Britain and around the world, who have offered their solidarity.
“I hope this matter is resolved as quickly as possible, so that the party can work together to root out anti-Semitism and unite to oppose and defeat this deeply damaging Conservative government.”
Karen Pollock, from the HET, said:”This sends an appalling message. ‘Zero tolerance’ either means zero tolerance or it’s meaningless. The scathing report from the EHRC less than three weeks ago outlined a stream of racism and discrimination by the Labour Party on Jeremy Corbyn’s watch."
The Jewish Labour Movement called the decision to reinstate Corbyn "extraordinary".
"After his failure of leadership to tackle anti-Semitism, so clearly set out in the EHRC's report, any reasonable and fair-minded observer would see Jeremy Corbyn's statement today as insincere and wholly inadequate," they said.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews called the decision "a retrograde step for the party in its relations with the Jewish community."
However, Unite’s Len McCluskey, called the decision “correct, fair and unifying”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel