Labour MPs Wes Streeting and Lisa Nandy insisted John McDonnell was not telling truth over party’s handling of previous antisemitism claims. Former Labour staffer James Mills set them straight
Lisa Nandy and Wes Streeting were absolutely convinced of their own rightness when they insisted Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell wasn’t being truthful in his account of how his former ‘PPS’ Naz Shah was dealt with after posting an antisemitic tweet.
As McDonnell tried to explain how been taken, the two MPs were having none of it, frequently interrupting to tell the veteran left-winger he was wrong on ITV’s Peston programme. Predictably, the host made much of it on social media:
Nandy went further, tweeting her insistence that “This matters” – a comment retweeted by Peston and Streeting:
But they were both wrong according to former Labour staffer James Mills, who remembered the event well and was one of only three people present at the time. Mills shared his knowledge on social media – and flatly contradicted the pair.
Mills recalled clearly that both McDonnell and party leader Jeremy Corbyn had personally – and swiftly – taken action:
Neither MP has apologised, at least publicly. As of half an hour before the time of writing, Nandy was still arguing with Mills on Twitter about the matter.
However, the Guardian article she pointed to during the dispute as evidence supporting her position states that Shah was sacked within hours of the news breaking – which appears to contradict her assertion on the programme that “it had been going on for 24 hours and no action had been taken“.
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What is Wes looking at in the first photo???
I’m sure he’d never be such a sexist pig as to stare at a woman’s cleavage Steve, if that’s what you were implying.
I’m shocked though that I hadn’t noticed the facial resemblance between them before now.
Not like sisters or anything but very alike, aren’t they?
A more basic question is whether the Left should look to John McDonnell as a possible successor to Jeremy should the Party leader become “permanently unavailable” as the rule book puts it.
Given McDonnell’s key role in securing the Labour shift to a second referendum, I think the Left should now look elsewhere.
It’s dodgy enough having yet another white male anyway.
I doubt he will stand again, he did do it once and did not get enough MP’s to back him
It doesn’t really matter now- the truth that is, as the damage has already been done. Another contribution to the fake news surrounding antisemitism. There is no way out of this unless Corbyn makes a principled and empassioned speech about antisemitism in labour, his history of tackling it and yes he should bring up Palastine and Istrael including the role of Istrael in funding the TIG and its interference in British politics. Its the elephant in the leaderships room. If this is not tackled it will be Corbyns demise. I say this following the outrageous suspension of Chris Williamson yesterday.
Dead right on all counts, Cindy.
Trouble is, even if Corbyn did make that speech, the MSM would either twist his words or ignore them altogether!
The dispute seems to centre on how long it took to suspend Naz. Even if Lisa had been right, the suspension took place within 24 hours so whats the problem? Are we now expected to act within what- 15 minutes ?
Lisa was on Owen Smith’s team – she was his campaign manager-campaigning for him as leader. She continued to do so even when it became obvious that he could not win and and despite the damage that they were clearly inflicted on the party.
Now she’s at it again – publicly contradicting the Shadow Chancellor and making groundless accusations that Naz was only suspended by the party after it had been pressurised to do so, indicating that we are reluctant to tackle anti semitism . What that they say about leopards and spots? .
Well, I’m sorry but McDonnels, Formby and Corbyn have lost the game now. They will throw their most courgeous, efficiant and combative comrades under the bus with no blink, so I will not protect them from smears anymore and I’m not sure you should either Skwawk because if one day you choose your wording wrongly in a post it will be too late for you too. That was so predictible allready from the poster, shame on this weak leadership, if they cannot be strong enough against the ridicule how can they lead a country’s revolution?
You too, antoine!
Throughout the debates over AS with everyone concerned I can only assume you’ve been asleep through them all?
This debate over AS has been going on since Jeremy Corbyn became leader!
Why is that?
Did AS suddenly raise its ugly head?
This is another way of attacking him as Leader because of his “DAM GOOD POLICIES”!
Those who have left and those who are thinking about it don’t deserve such an Honourable and Wise leader!
Talking trash about his AS standing!
Come up with concrete evidence, give us all those 200 names who are AS and Racist!
Put up or shut up!
Owen Jones wanted Nandy to be party leader as I recall
owen jones supported owen smiffy at first
As I’ve posted elsewhere : this actually suggests that the mealy-mouthed subservience to Israel goes some way back.
All Nandy did (unless someone can show me something I missed) was to highlight the nature of the Israeli state being created on another people’s land by positing a telling counter-factual scenario. That’s highlighting the deadly flaws in the zionist project, not an ‘antisemitic’ slur on jewish people as jews.
Sorry ‘Nandy’ should read ‘Naz Shah’.
Naz Shah posted an anti-semitic tweet? Someone please tell me how placing Israel on a map of USA constitutes hatred of jews? Freedom of speech is important in any democracy; the Zionist lobby are removing the basic human right of dissent. Public opinion & attitudes are changing as the power of the Zionist lobby is exposed. Israel is no longer a dove, but a hawk & Jews are no longer seen as victims but perpetrators of racism. C21st history is being written in blood & deceit.
“Jews are no longer seen as victims but perpetrators of racism.”
Don’t feed the Lobby with dangerous generalisations that can be misrepresented.
That’s right. A lot of Jews are as horrified by this sort of thing as anybody else.
‘Feeding the lobby?’ Dare you say anything critical of Israel or make an observation? Fear is the operative word in this climate. It is important that you do not spend your life on your knees & not continually test the water or else Chris Williamson will be found guilty & expelled from the Labour Party.
Everyone has the right to be insulted or misinterpret words, but to be constantly frightened to express an opinion is something I can never accept. Israel deliberately conflates the state of Israel with the Jewish religion, in which case there is a great danger that ordinary Jewish people will also be blamed for the murderous genocide of Palestinians, even in Britain. To point out this dangerous generalisation about how Jewish people may be perceived is not an attack & does not do them a dis-service We live in interesting times.
Correct, Zionism begets anti-Semitism, they feed of each other and it is all Jews who get caught in the middle and suffer because of it.
Steve – I was cautioning against statements that can be taken out of context as *generalised* utterances about Jewish people *in general*.
We know that the antisemitism scam is not supported by many in the Jewish community, but the pap feds to the public by the MSM builds on a misinformed notion that bolsters the indiscriminate notions that it feeds off.