Labour’s press office Twitter account publicly rebukes Daily Mail for false claim that Corbyn tried to intervene in suspension of MP Chris Williamson
The Daily Mail has tried to capitalise on the Labour Party’s suspension of Derby North MP Chris Williamson with a blaring front page claiming that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had tried to block the suspension.
The article, as well as being a smear, betrays a complete lack of knowledge of how Labour’s disciplinary processes function – and the official @LabourPress account was quick to point out that the rag’s claim was wholesale fake news:
Not only that, but Labour had told the Mail that the story was false, yet the smear went ahead anyway.
SKWAWKBOX comment:
‘Mainstream’ fake news yet again. How desperate the Establishment is to attack the Labour leader.
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I wonder if they will try and sue? Look like they have grounds
What they really mean is of course that it’s THEIR ‘Hateful New Low’ – ie the Smearers. They do so lurve to amuse themselves and their buddies.
The psychopath mindset at work!
Comical that the Mail accuses Corbyn of intervening in Chris Williamson’s case on the same day that Nandy and Streeting accuse him of not having intervened quickly enough in Naz Shah’s case.
Still no cure for irony-blindness apparently.
… and, of course, the Naz Shah case is parallel in that she said nothing ‘antisemitic’, but re-posted a tongue-in-cheek counter-factual (originating, I think, in Norman Finkelstein) to highlight the nature of the occupation of Palestine.
She actually proved the point when the real racists and supporters of apartheid occupation went ballistic at the idea.
Fortunately Naz Shah DID recognise the anti-Semitic Trope lying behind the “joke” image she foolishly copied . but , you RH, are an ignorant fool incapable of understanding the various old anti- Semitic subtexts behind the image. Too many of the most enthusiatic posters on Skwawkbox on this issue are apparently quite incapable of stopping themselves digging an ever deeper propaganda hole for our Party on the Israel/Palestine/zionism issue by their lazy , historically ignorant, ambiguity blind language.
“you RH, are an ignorant fool incapable of understanding the various old anti- Semitic subtexts ”
Shah was bullied into apologising. What’s new?
Still on a mindless, illiterate rant, ha’penny, – worthy of a Joan Ryan or Benjamin Netenyahu? Your totalitarian slip is showing, I fear.
Your support for Israeli fabrications and faux-victimisation is touching at best – but mainly grossly ignorant in its attempt to conflate opposition to the actuality of the Israeli state and its roots in the illogic of Zionism with the notion of Jewishness. It is crass – as Finkelstein’s image showed.
There is nothing ambiguous about my language – it’s the fellow-travellers of apartheid and ethnic cleansing policies that do that. And it’s based on actual history rather than mythical stories.
I have been asked to pass on this message from Shai Masot. It is addressed to Tom Watson,Margaret Hodge,Owen Jones and Nick Robinson. Message reads ” Mission accomplished but wind it in now boys as it is starting to look too blatant.”
There’s a massive point everyone is missing.
If the claim is that Corbyn intervened but failed to stop Williamson’s suspension, this COMPLETELY DEBUNKS all prior claims that Corbyn is in any way responsible for other decisions that have been made or not made.
COURT
NOW
Goodbye Mail
I hate to disillusion you … but if you think that telling lies is an automatically indictable offense, this wouldn’t be happening in the first place.
Labour have to take legal action. This smear campaign has to be called out. I have a friend who KNOWS what a lying bunch of tossers the MSM are but even HE is starting to send me worried texts on the lines of “look what Corbyn’s done now” and so forth..
Its a fact that when you start slinging utter shite about, some of it will stick.
You are, of course, absolutely right re. the MSM and the art of shit-slinging.
But, in legal terms, it would be almost impossible to mount a successful action, given the way in which the term ‘antisemitism’ has been rendered meaningless in practical terms by the NEC’s adoption of the IHRA (non) defintition and ‘examples’.
Do you think this likely to be a temp suspension because if it isn’t I shall definitely resign from both momentum and the labour party? I can no longer believe in a party that is so spineless that they can’t defend against an obvious set of lies.
No don’t do that because if you do and you walk away even though I feel the same way and these bastards would have won , mission accomplished another couple of labour party socialists gone , removed. We have to stay we have to fight tooth and nail all the way these bastards will not give up their power easily and we need to keep on fighting them to ensure a socialist government that’s the only way forward.Watson is lashing out now as he’s very rattled re the recent weakening of his power base in his CLP.
It’s only a matter of time before the obvious occurs and he throws in the towel and leaves and joins the Tig but will do as much damage as possible before he does so .
expect more resignations in the coming week.
I’d be ripping up my membership card after this if I had one.
I wasn’t going to join the party until the influence of The Lobby had been eradicated from the party. Since this clearly isn’t going to happen, I’m going to give my money to the Communist party instead.
They may not stand a hope in hell of attaining power, but I know at least they’d never let me down…
What are you still doing in momentum, surely you can’t agree with John lannsman ? He is one of the prime movers in the fake anti semitism campaign. He is a snake 🐍 in the grass that boy.
No doubt if Momentum did the obvious and ditched the confused and/or devious and disloyal Lansman, it would be classed as ‘antisemitic’.
Thanks for your comments Rob. After trolling through facebook I found the meme of John McDonnell saying “If you think things are bad now, wait until we are close to no 10…” This prediction reminds me that I know we have to keep fighting, keep staying in there, staying together. We CAN beat the bastards! Comrades will fall in the battle but we have to stay in there.
I have to agree with you on this
I am afraid you have completely lost the plot here Skwawky.You think it would be to Corbyn’s credit that he didn’t try and intervene do you you?If so,you and me have a very different understanding of socialist solidarity
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.
If this is a slip-up from the Mail and they won’t retract it with an apology then Labour ‘must’ hit them hard. Labour must also start scrutinising some these claims from elsewhere and deal with them also.. Apparently Hodge was on TV yesterday calling Jeremy Antisemitic this stuff needs to be addressed. It can’t go on!!
Agree
Normally at this stage Len comes out and wields big stick,
My worry is Faulkner, does he gave the guts to call out Hodge and her 200 vexatious claims of anti semitism or will he shaft us as well
No & Yes! No he doesn’t have the guts & Yes, he will shaft us as well.
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?
I worry that any investigation into Mr Williamsons comments will have a preordained outcome. The Labour establishment will have to find him guilty as they did with Mr Wadsworth,as any other verdict will lead to the odious Hodge leading a deafening chorus howling “see they don’t take anti Semitism seriously “. Natural justice will have nothing to do with outcomes.
Or perhaps “any other verdict” would be the last straw for Hodge and finally drive her into the arms of the Tinge.
It’s got to be worth a try…
I really appreciated Norman Finkelstein’s debunking of Margaret Hodge a while back. He really got the measure of her! What a pity he’s American. He would be a great asset on our side here in the UK.
But as things stand it is us, the ‘ordinary’ socialists in the LP who will have to do the job of ensuring that Williamson (and Walker) are vindicated. And if Corbyn, McDonnell and Formby are lacking in backbone, it is we who will have to provide that too!
If, as claimed, they told the mail before they published, then they have an unloseable libel case, and should get it in quick.
But they won’t.
CW was perhaps only saying what some felt but note someone has been trawling through what he has said in the past and his comments were BEFORE the recent evidence was released (AS in Labour 0.003% of members over 10 months when tragically AS amongst the public is 2.5%) but I wonder how Labour’s record and processes compare with those of the Tories & Lib Dems – was it 20 Tory Council candidates suspended last May for alleged racism?)
Silverstein has made some interesting points, the US academic argues what is going on is an attack on Jewish diversity by Jewish right wing reps who are trying to get one dominant narrative – total & uncritical support for Israel?
Secondly some suggest the Neo-Liberal capitalist newspapers (including the Guardian) are using this issue to attack Corbyn?
And the third element it is argued is right wing Labour MPs with no ideas jumping on the bandwagon for their Anti-Corbyn agenda?
There has always been an issue and thankfullly the evidence can now INFORM Labour and Labour now has rigorous processes in place to deal with AS claims.
Many of us will continue to be on the front-line countering the Far Right (it is Muslims who are their focus at present but other diverse groups could be next) adding actions to words.
But as a few have said on here – don’t walk away (this is probably what some want) but carry on fighting for diverse working people, many of whom are really, really struggling under this vile Tory Govt and how exasperated they must be feeling with such little attention on them.
So let’s get back to fighting for diverse working people and to trying to set the agenda!
Bazza. One of the points you mention is one I have been making for a long time and it is currently playing out in the Labour Party. There is a conflict within the Jewish community between those who unconditionally support the brutal actions of Israel against the Palestinians and those who deplore it. It is evident from Labour’s expulsions/suspensions of moderate Jews, that those who support the Zionist cause and condone the actions of the far right government in Israel have the upper hand in the Party at the moment.
Chris Williamson’s comments were not in the slightest bit anti-Semitic but they were seized upon by Watson, who represents the Zionist wing, to raise another storm of faux outrage to silence voices critical of the Zionist plotters against Corbyn.
We need a campaign of solidarity, staying and standing our ground, but we also have to find a way to get the honest truth (like the orthodox community supporting Labour, the JVL and diversity, etc) out with it. Those of us in rural and remote areas find it really hard to have our voices heard, so this is a plea to our urban colleagues, please can you take to the streets? We can do our bit locally, and get reported locally, but let’s not pretend that this will make a dent in the MSM war against us.
“… what is going on is an attack on Jewish diversity by Jewish right wing reps who are trying to get one dominant narrative – total & uncritical support for Israel?”
I can agree with you on this without reservation. It has been obvious for years if you know the history and the historical – as well as personal – writing about Palestine. The difference at present is a wider alliance of the right, and the upsurge of wider knowledge, plus the Boycott and Disinvestment movement. More people have become aware of the actuality, and that has shaken Israel as their idealistic victim facade has disappeared under a pile of Palestinian bodies and acres mof stolen land.
What has changed is a more concentrated alliance with the wider right in trying to prevent an administration that would (hopefully) change uncritical UK policy. Thus the frantic activity.
And it is true that a key target has been left-wing Jewish people who blow the Israeli facade apart, contradicting the racism of the unrepresentative Board of Deputies and the vile slurs put out by the establishment Jewish Chronicle etc., aide by blatant individual hypocrites like Jonathan Sacks.
You are also, I think right to say ‘ don’t walk away’. This needs opposition, not the comforting right wing objective of a vacant field.
But, I have to say, as someone who thinks that mob-handed (as opposed to targeted) reselection can backfire), the apparent lack of backbone amongst the current PLP is a terrible testament.
High time JC took legal action as getting sick of this
We have at the moment in the Labour Party and unholy alliance between the right wing and the Zionists. Remember that Blair referred to hiself as a Zionist and shaped the Party in that mould. We are now dealing with the consequences, so much so that there are at least sixty right wingers/Zionists ready to pounce upon any excuse to drive a wedge between Corbyn and the country.
The fact that they have Watson there right at the core of the Party to protect them gives them immense leaverage and boldness. It is the reason that Margaret Hodge was able to escape suspension and continue with her pernicious attacks upon Jeremy Corbyn.
I guess one thing that disinterested (admittedly few and far between) observers will note is that the current constitutional basis of Israel, and its actions, can only be sustained by lies and distortions.
… which rather speaks for itself.
Do these gbshites think the mail’s gonna listen and accept their version of events? Are they shite. The damage has been done. And frankly, Corbyn’s & co have brought it on themselves by allowing – nay, encouraging, by timourous appeasement – the likes of the pederast enabler…THAT’S PEDERAST ENABLER hodge, screeching and many other SHITHOUSES, to do as they fucking well please – unfettered, unchastened, but worst of all, under the media radar.
Hodge making accusations about non-lbour members, deliberately flooding the complaints system. Screeching screeching at Abbot and ‘doxxing’ people on twitter, encouraging their bullying. Watson thinking he’s a law unto himself….Not an exhaustive list. Yet NOTHING has been done about their openly transparent transgressions.
The chance to have at least deterred or discouraged the likes of LFI from overexaggerating the issue by highlighting their dishonesty in terms of their own malfeasance has long gone. It’ll look like the left will be clutching at straws now.
No use those grassroots members who are sickened by the surreptitious, hypocritical and unscrupulous behaviour of these traitorous cowards to make any complaints now; the hierarchy weren’t – and still aren’t – interested.
They’ve proved it by their abject failure to to demonstrate even the appearance of an equilibrium despite people now pursuing court cases against them.
It’s been all one-way traffic and the anti-socialist LFI &JLC etc have known it for ages, they were always waiting for the dam to break. Well it’s broke now. Corbyn, McDonnell, Milne & Formby can’t say they weren’t warned. They were. On many occasions.
This is ALL because of Corbyn & co’s refusal to put their fucking foot down on one ‘racial’ issue that they empoered by their contemptible spinelessness.
Sickened. I always knew Corbyn was a hippie, but disregarded the age-old warning never to trust a hippie.
Sorry for the long rant but thats it from me. I’ve had it.
Speaking as a long haired; bearded & sandal wearing; tree hugging hippie…………..I say yes, never trust a hippie; you should always trust politicians & journalists instead. The Truth is Out There!
Lots of people have regretted mistaking hippies for shrinking violets, Brother Toffee – outside of festivals “Peace” was more often than not followed by something a lot less friendly than “Brother.”
I met many hippie-hating fascists.
Most turned out to be nice, gentle young men, and loudly apologetic within seconds of having the error of their ways explained to them.
More to the point – what was not achieved back then has still not been achieved – just in case anyone’s forgotten.
Accusations of bribery against ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu by Israel’s Attorney General, is proof positive, if more proof were needed by MSM, that Ant-Semitism is alive & kicking, not only in the Labour Party but even in Israel.
Sorry RH…….’the Lobby’ will not be amused, but they can reach me via Labour Party, Sefton.
If the Labour party cannot – or will not – act against what appears to be an obvious libel (if this story is true), how can they be trusted to form a government?
It’s sad the way the party moans about the MSM, but does nothing about it, even with such an open goal.