Labour peers release newspaper advert slamming Jeremy Corbyn over antisemitism
Around a third of the party's members in the House of Lords write to The Guardian to to claim he hasn't "told the whole truth".
Wednesday 17 July 2019 11:20, UK
Labour peers have taken out a newspaper advert accusing Jeremy Corbyn of "failing the test of leadership" by allowing antisemitism to "grow in our party".
In a blistering attack, 64 members of the House of Lords said they believe their party "is no longer a safe place for all members and supporters" of any faith.
They accuse their leader of having "allowed a toxic culture to divide our movement" and "presiding over the most shaming period in Labour's history."
The full-page advert in The Guardian states: "The Labour Party welcomes everyone irrespective of race, creed, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Except it seems, Jews."
The peers who have signed it - around a third of the party's members in the Lords - include anti-apartheid campaigner Peter Hain, and former cabinet ministers John Reid and Hilary Armstrong.
Wednesday's intervention continues the fallout from a BBC Panorama investigation in which eight whistleblowers revealed their experiences working on complaints about antisemitism.
The peers, who say they are writing in support of the party staff who spoke out, allege that Mr Corbyn hasn't "told the whole truth" about interference in cases by his office.
The advert continues: "We are saying you are accountable as leader for allowing antisemitism to grow in our party and presiding over the most shaming period in Labour's history.
"Labour can't fight racism in society if we can't deal with racism in our own party. We can't be a credible alternative government that will bring the country together if we can't get our own house in order."
They add: "You have failed to defend our party's anti-racist values. You have therefore failed the test of leadership."
Mr Corbyn has faced mounting pressure over accusations that senior figures, including his communications chief Seumas Milne and general secretary Jennie Formby, interfered in antisemitism investigations.
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Lord Hain told Sky News: "I'm a lifelong anti-racist and anti-apartheid campaigner and I'm horrified by the disease of antisemitism that has cursed the party and is going on and on.
"It's basically killing us and that's why I'm so angry about it."
Clive Soley, a former chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party, told The Guardian the advert was taken out because "I think the situation is that we either do something now or just watch the Labour Party die".
A Labour spokesman said the party was taking decisive action against antisemitism "regardless of false and misleading claims about the party by those hostile to Jeremy Corbyn's politics".
Labour peers have already offered to investigate allegations of antisemitism in the party and warned Mr Corbyn that without full openness the issue was "a cancer that will continue to grow".
Next week, Labour's governing body is being urged to support a motion which would automatically exclude members where there is "irrefutable evidence" accusing them of racism or other forms of discrimination.
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Tom Watson, the party's deputy leader, was among five members of the National Executive Committee who submitted the motion to the chair of the NEC. It calls for rule changes to be enacted at the party's autumn conference.