Antisemitism is a deadly serious issue – but ‘allegations’ relating mostly to actions of old, right-wing regime and some as thin as ‘interpretations’ and disagreements about definitions do nothing to help the fight against it
Information on the claims to be broadcast in this evening’s Panorama attack on the Labour Party reveals a distinct lack of substance in the programme’s claims – and the distinct misdirection of attempting to use it against the current administration.
In fact most relate to the party’s old right-wing regime under its unlamented former general secretary, Iain McNicol – and those that don’t are as thin and insubstantial as someone being grumpy or a disgruntled ex-staffer’s ‘interpretation’ of an email.
A BBC article published minutes ago reveals what the programme offers in terms of support for its much-trailed ‘revelations’, saying of the supposed whistleblowers – who almost all quit the party as soon as Jennie Formby was appointed to replace McNicol and the rest soon after:
Dealing with the ‘claims’ in order:
Angry and obstructive
Apart from being so entirely subjective – and so unverifiable – an assessment as to be meaningless, these poor, sensitive ex-staffers seem to have been upset at a grumpy response from overworked aides in the leader’s office.
Many of the same ex-staff, incidentally, were more than happy to participate enthusiastically in the suspension of members during successive ‘purges‘ of left members before each of the two leadership elections.
Many of those same ‘whistleblowers’ were also so determined not to contribute to any solutions that they quit as soon as their old boss was replaced. One quoted by the BBC, Sam Matthews, managed to cling on for around three months and then quit.
Most crucially, departing ex-staffers also destroyed thousands of documents relating to complaints, while taking copies to release to the media, hampering Labour’s attempts to deal with them.
Corbyn’s aides may well have had ample reason to be angry and uncooperative toward those ex-staffers.
Overruled decisions, slap on the wrist
Again, context is key. Right-wing staff under McNicol were recommending summary expulsions and the referral of cases to the NCC (Labour’s ultimate disciplinary committee) that were found to be without evidence or substance.
Shami Chakrabarti’s report on the handling of antisemitism cases made recommendations to the party that were meant to be completely implemented by the McNicol regime. The report specifically stated that offences of varying seriousness should be handled in a range of ways. In a section on sanctions for members found in breach, the report states:
In the event of a member being found in breach, the NCC should be encouraged to consider greater use of a wide and creative range of sanctions. These may include a warning, the requirement for apologies and/or some other form of sensitive reparation to another member or person or persons, a public warning or reprimand, suspension from the Party for up to two years, and expulsion.
Chakrabarti report, page 19
However, Chakrabarti was almost entirely ignored by the old right-wing machine. The ‘overruling’ of recommendations by that right-wing machine was entirely appropriate in those circumstances – and disgruntled ex-staffers busy ignoring Chakrabarti’s process clearly regarded anything short of summary expulsion as ‘a slap on the wrist’.
Mr Milne laughed
See the previous section. “Long-serving party officials” were the very people who had been ignoring the Chakrabarti report – a report that even Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis had said should be implemented in full and without delay.
Laughing at the pronouncements of obstructive right-wingers who had failed to implement any of the Chakrabarti report would be an appropriate response, when the Labour left was working hard to try to improve the mess left by the old regime.
Ordered batches of complaints to LOTO
Here the claims fly off into fantasy. A significant number of the McNicol apparatus had simply quit in pique when he was removed. Some had shredded thousands of documents relating to live disciplinary cases to hamper the party. Short-staffed and deprived of vital documents, Labour went into an ‘all hands to the pumps’ mode to attempt to manage the chaos.
As part of that effort, some of Corbyn’s staff – along with others – were temporarily allocated to trying to get things back on track until new staff were recruited.
These staff were not demanding documents, they were requesting them to help deal with a backlog created by the actions of the same right-wing quitters who had shredded documents on their way out.
What Panorama won’t mention
The fact that departing staffers destroyed thousands of documents to hamper Labour, while taking copies they could leak to the media, was exclusively revealed by the SKWAWKBOX almost two months ago, but is easily checked by any journalist contacting the right party officials.
In spite of having plenty of time to investigate this right-wing, antisemitic vandalism, it is unlikely in the extreme that Panorama will mention it at all, let alone challenge any of its ‘whistleblowers’ on whether they played any part in it.
The BBC also omitted the fact that ‘interference’ alleged by Jennie Formby in one case was actually Formby asking for the case to be sped up, selectively quoted emails – and left out that ‘witness’ Matthews had dismissed another case:
NDAs
The BBC article this evening also attributes significant weight to NDAs (non-disclosure agreements).
Sam Matthews, who appears to be a key ‘witness’ in the Panorama programme, released a letter to the Sunday Times that he had received from the party’s lawyers, referring to the NDA he signed. The Times claimed the letter had been sent by Labour in the run-up to the Panorama programme in an attempt to curb his participation.
In fact, the letter was three months old and dated to the time Matthews first started feeding information to the media for attacks on the Labour Party. The date of the published letter was blacked out, disguising its age.
Interpretation
The programme appears to be aware of the thinness of its material, adding in the frankly feeble in an attempt to pad it out. In an attempt to support a claim of interference by Corbyn aide Seumas Milne, the BBC article reports:
But Sam Matthews, the party’s former head of disputes, said he interpreted an e-mail sent by Mr Milne – the Labour leader’s communications chief – in March 2018, calling for a review into how complaints were handled, as “an instruction”.
A “call for a review” – no doubt driven by the determination of the previous right-wing administration not to implement the Chakrabarti processes – was ‘interpreted’ by Matthews as “an instruction”.
A disgruntled ex-employee says something with its own clear meaning was in fact something else – and Panorama is so short of substance for its programme that this merits mention as an allegation.
Conclusion:
The Panorama programme has been trailed by the BBC as a major exposé – and treated by other media and assorted enemies of Labour’s leadership as some kind of ‘Holy Writ’.
Instead, the BBC itself seems to have revealed that it is so thin and so transparently political that any embarrassment should be on the faces of those responsible for it – and of those demanding that the rest of the country treat it as substantial.
The issue of antisemitism anywhere is a deadly serious one – but Labour has done more to tackle it in the past year than previous leaders did in the previous century.
And the misrepresentation of claims by disgruntled former staff at political odds with the Labour leadership will do not one thing to advance the genuine fight against the horror of antisemitism.
Jeremy Corbyn and his team, by contrast, have taken Labour to a place of genuinely world-leading processes and policies that make the party the safest place for its members of any ethnicity or religion. He meant what he told the party’s annual conference last autumn:
But you won’t hear that on tonight’s Panorama.
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Excellent article Skwawkbox
You beat me to it! I just hope that a lot of these points will be made – forcefully – by party spokespeople on the media tomorrow.
Then sue.
Well done SB , now suggest we all copy and paste that into the verious comment columns in the MSM post Bullshit Broadcasting Corporation hatchet job tonight.
Further …. I have just read the full letter of complaint from Labour to the BBC over on The Canary , must say excellent document IMO .
but someone has put a Wiki link to John Ware , the presenter re his documentary outputs and that does make informative reading .
All the usual LFI will be on the mornings news tomorrow /watson /mann/ smeeth hodge/ streeting/ elman guaranteed a load of sick will be spewing out of their nasty mouths its about time we got rid of these plastic labour mp’s once and for all and ask them to show us concrete proof that their is wide spread A/S in the labour party
Those bastards won’t wait till tomorrow they’ll be on the Bullshit Broadcasting Corp 10pm news tonight !
Tom Watson was outraged when a member enquired about triggering a reselection process in Ellie Reeves constituency. He regarded this as bullying of a pregnant woman. I wonder how he and the other MPs who leapt to Ellie’s defence will view the attacks on Jennie Formby in the programme tonight.
Like Ellie, Jennie is a woman. However she is not pregnant, a normal and mostly joyful time for a woman. Instead she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Lets see how long it takes Tom or any of the others to utter one word of support for her. I’m guessing we’ll have a very long wait .
In the meantime Jennie hope your treatment is going well, solidarity and remember – dont let the ******** get you down.
Smartboy 10/07/2019 at 10:50 pm
Yesterday Tuesday 09/07/19
Labour NEC agrees relaxed trigger ballot process for pregnant MPs
Labour’s ruling body has agreed that pregnant MPs will only be subject to the trigger ballot process at least one year after their return from maternity leave
https://labourlist.org/2019/07/excl-labour-nec-agrees-relaxed-trigger-ballot-process-for-pregnant-mps/
Just one example of the lack of journalistic integrity.
“The programme focussed on Corbyn’s communications director Seamus Milne, who was quoted as writing in an email to HQ that “something’s going wrong, and we’re muddling up political disputes with racism… I think going forward we need to review where and how we’re drawing the line”.
However, a Labour spokesperson said Panorama had “deliberately misrepresented this correspondence” as the full sentence read: “But if we’re more than very occasionally using disciplinary action against Jewish members for anti-Semitism, something’s going wrong, and we’re muddling up political disputes with racism.”
https://labourlist.org/2019/07/bbc-panorama-on-labour-antisemitism-claims-contributors-and-reactions/
Thanks SteveH for info ,
Labour NEC agrees to let pregnant MPs off the hook , ooohhh good grief !!! Is this not sexual discrimination against male MPs then ?
No really I jest but the point is that pregnant or not if they are CRAP then they should still be held to account by their CLP membership regardless , pregnancy is not an excuse to avoid responsibility and accountability IMO.
Stupid wrong decision by the NEC and more appeasement to the RW PLP MPs
Reply to Steve H
Thanks for the info about trigger ballots and for putting Seumus Milne’s comments in context. In respect of the latter lacking journalistic integrity is putting it mildly- absolutely disgraceful but how very typical of the BBC
The crucial evidence reported by the BBC to support their thesis is Seamus Milne saying to Sam Matthews (the man who expelled me for being a “communist”) “something’s going wrong and we’re muddling up political disputes with racism”…”I think going forward we need to review where and how we’re drawing the line.”
This is a give away. SM is employed because he’s politically astute and he could see early on that party staff were attempting to brand socialists as racists, for the most part because of their positions vis a vis Israel but also because they saw this as a path to undermine the newly elected leader.
This might be an approach that any journalist worth their salt might have taken, particularly in the light of potentially criminal activity by these renegades – the destroyed and stolen documents, the starving of funds to marginal constituencies, the changing of the locks on London HQ doors etc. etc.
Thinness of material, commitment to decent journalistic principles and addiction to the truth have not prevented the broadcast of a large segment of dodgy rubbish by the BBC, on TV, Radio and via the internet, over the past few years.
These downward trends started, ironically, with Thatcher’s removal of SM’s father, Alasdair Milne as Director General of the BBC at the hands of Marmaduke Hussey. Neither would escape the notice of anyone with a keen eye, how, recently, many important appointments to BBC news posts have gone to apologists for Israeli apartheid.
The shocking things is they think they will get away with it: thanks to journalism like yours Steve, maybe they won’t.
“The crucial evidence reported by the BBC to support their thesis is Seamus Milne saying to Sam Matthews (the man who expelled me for being a “communist”) “something’s going wrong and we’re muddling up political disputes with racism”…”I think going forward we need to review where and how we’re drawing the line.”
This is a give away. SM is employed because he’s politically astute…”.
Labre, which SM are you referring to? I take it you mean Seamus Milne.
Like the comment by labrebisgalloise
labrebisgalloise said: ‘The shocking things is they think they will get away with it: thanks to journalism like yours Steve, maybe they won’t.’
I’m loathe to keep pointing it out, but the reach of the anti-Corbyn MSM is at the very least twenty times that of the JC-supporting alternative media, and probably more like between thirty to forty times the reach.
Jeremy Kyle would have love most of these Mp’s they would have accused the lie detector of being a A/S
Good time to point towards academic reports of BBC bias, call on them to justify how they have chosen to frame their reporting,
Entirely anti, no balance and zero response from Jewish Community who support JC and party,
Have half a dozen prime examples of vexatious claims,
Hodge responsible for 200 complaints, 180 thrown out immediately
Hodge has previous form for smearing victims of sexual abuse
Former staffers criminality, BBC and Sunday Times complicity
Rabid Rabbi Sacks has form in Israel, these are the people who media rely on
Media never state results 0.05% 1/20th of 1% of members 250/500,000
Never compare to general public or other parties, 55% of Tories hold Islamophobic views, 90,000/160,000 FFS
Acknowledge the problem is statistically negligible, safest country in Europe for the Jewish community thanks to JC and Labour movement
Acknowledge failure to investigate shed load of evidence of AS being used as a weapon to smear opponents
Investigate Israeli interference in our democracy, throw the book at them,
Throw a couple of Cockwombles out of the party,
My prediction programme will shed more light on MSM, toilet papers and Blairites
Enjoy
It seems tonight’s Panorama will be the culmination of the drawn-out A-S smear campaign.
If it lives up to Skwawk’s billing, it’ll be a typically threadbare centrist Mandelvellian belly-flop from the people who brought you the chicken coups.
I can’t wait…
If I could ask for one thing it would be
We the Labour party will no longer tolerate vexatious claims of AS,
Where there is clear evidence then individuals will be expelled automatically,
This is our duty of care to members and supporters of the biggest anti racist party in Europe
I think most people who have worked with John Ware would agree with me that you don’t employ him if you want a balanced,well argued piece. It may therefore be worth uncovering who commissioned this programme.
Hmm. I wonder if Margaret Hodge’s daughter, Lizzi Watson (deputy editor, BBC news) had a hand in it…😁
Seriously though, watching this Panorama garbage, Corbyn has nothing to worry about. Is this all they’ve got???
It’s the politico-media bubble broadcasting to itself, imagining the thick proles will buy it.
Will even have it on their list of priorities!
BIBI netanyahu !
FFS – How pathetic, is that really the best they could come up with. I am profoundly disappointed that the impartiality of the BBC has plunged to a new low.
Having watched the interviewees on this travesty of a program is it safe to assume that they all received the same ‘media training’?
For ‘media training’ read ‘faux-sincerity training’ 🙂
I hope some BBC tech kept the video of the rehearsals – I know bad acting when I see it. Mostly on BBC ‘dramas’.
BBC just about in the clear, the written response from Labour was enough to counter balance the programme,
Obvious response is not a single member of the Jewish community who support JC and Labour party
Failed to report figures and its counter intuitive to say expelling only 15 members is proof that your institutionally anti semitic
7.10 Today programme says the Labour Party have been asked to put up a spokesperson but didn’t reply. Instead we have Lord Levy. Astonishing. Levy says the fact that it’s only 0.06% of members is ‘a weak argument’.
No mention of the factional interest of Blair and the Blairites in fomenting complaints against Corbyn –
and no mention of The Lobby.
‘the fuck were Labour EVER thinking to employ such blubbering snowflake whimpering, whinging wusses as those Panorama “witnesses” in a disciplinary body?
[What]‘the fuck were Labour EVER thinking to employ such blubbering snowflake whimpering, whinging wusses as those Panorama “witnesses” in a disciplinary body?
Yes, it’s quite an eye-opener that these sort of people are even members of the party, let alone part of a disciplinary body. A suspicious preponderance of plummy voices, too. They’re an embarrassment and we’re well shot of them. Just goes to illustrate the corruption of the party (and its appeal to crypto-Tories) under Blair.
Now a multi-minute piece on the BBC News channel repeating the same shit from the Panorama programme that just finished.
https://www.facebook.com/GatesAreOpen/posts/2002562193316477
Critical Thinking provides links on many of the issues in this programme.
Do post the links everywhere you think people might like to read intelligent analysis.
Well that was a truly pathetic waste of time.
The BBC has been making me increasingly uneasy since around 2005. This is only the most recent sign that the commissioning team have lost all wit and judgement. It was beyond unbalanced, it was just shoddy schlock journalism at its worst. I’d say the same if it was a similar piece targeting any organisation or institution no matter it’s stripes. If you know the turf even slightly it’s bad enough, but the approach was flawed.
Is Radio 3 still worth the license fee on its own? Not sure.
Whomever gave cover to this should be ashamed but is doubtless backslapping and tittering away.
Shameful garbage.
“Is Radio 3 still worth the license fee on its own?”
A dubious proposition – even if it would be for me (much better value than most streaming services, for instance).
But … the wider fact is that the BBC does provide the only alternative to commercial pap. Do a quick tune of any DAB radio. The only real variety of programming comes from the BBC – and the input of the corrupted News department is actually quite a small component.
Television?: well – I’ve just spent three weeks without it – and it’s not been missed in any significant way, although bits are worth a watch.
But the radio would be much missed.
My dial was rusted solid on Radio 4 for years but I haven’t listened in for ages.
I while away my retirement with technical stuff and it takes all my failing intellect and attention.
All of the old accusations against JC were all in plain view of the party at the time and deemed not to be anti semitic, fast forward !
Just submitted a complaint to the BBC. First time ever. Will make no difference. Will redouble my efforts though to try and ensure Labour wins the next General Election.
I think we should all inform the BBC that we’re suspending our licence payments till there’s a complete clear-cut at BBC News & Current Affairs.
Who’s with me?
Clear-out!
I have no contract with the bbc. Don’t watch their propaganda, don’t pay them anything at all. I got utterly sick and tired of their obvious lies and distortions years ago. Capita knocks on my door these days I just walk their rep down to my gate and say goodbye.
What a pathetic programme and what a lot of unstable, precious staff they were who worked in the Investigation Team.
It’s obvious that the kids in the investigating team viewed being anti-Zionist as being anti-Semitic. It was stated Zionism was the movement responsible for establishing Israel as a home for Jews, as if this was a good thing. No mention that it came about via terrorism and those who forced their way in had absolutely no right to be there and are still murdering Palestinians to steal even more of their land. Anyone who had the audacity to point this out would have been investigated for anti-Semitism.
Why were none of the thousands of Jews who support Jeremy Corbyn interviewed who feel completely at home in the Labour Party? And why was it not mentioned that one of the most endangered groups of people in the party are Jews who speak out against Zionism because apart from it’s settler colonialist aspecr, it attracts sometimes violent attention from idiots to all Jews, Zionist or not.
Finally, why the heck was someone as weak as Andrew Gwyn allowed to be a spokesman for the Party? “Is Jeremy Corbyn anti-Semitic” his answer “I believe not”
I didn’t watch the programme. I’ve heard enough of the same insubstantial biased shite over the past years whilst good anti-racists have been hung out to dry.
I figured that if the BBC surprised anyone with a bit of investigative reporting, I’d get to know without inflicting irritating tedium on myself.
However, Jack, the final comment you make
” … why the heck was someone as weak as Andrew Gwyn allowed to be a spokesman for the Party?”
… raises that wider question again – namely, the lack of convincing spokes-people for the Party and the lack of a strong, combative rebuttal line.
I’m not naive about penetrating the media wall, but it would be a start to get the counter-message forcefully put. After all, the mound of actual evidence is on the side of the angels rather than the fakers who depend upon lies and distortions.
Two points that still baffle me
The Muriel was all about bankers with big noses, Really,
As far as I could see they all had big noses FFS
The guy Rich took a huge leap of faith when he equated anti Zionism on the left with anti semitism,
That was a bit 6th Form debating society
After the programme, Labour issued a full response.
“We completely reject any claim that Labour is antisemitic. We stand in solidarity with Jewish people, and we’re taking decisive action to root out antisemitism from our movement and society.
The Panorama programme was not a fair or balanced investigation. It was a seriously inaccurate, politically one-sided polemic, which breached basic journalistic standards, invented quotes and edited emails to change their meaning. It was an overtly biased intervention by the BBC in party political controversy.
An honest investigation into antisemitism in Labour and wider society is in the public interest. The Panorama team instead pre-determined an answer to the question posed by the programme’s title. No proper and serious attempt was made to understand our current procedures for dealing with antisemitism, which is clearly essential to reach a fair and balanced judgement. And Panorama distorted and manipulated the truth and misrepresented evidence to present a biased and selective account.
We complained in advance to the BBC over the way the programme was put together and its choice of a presenter who has expressed overt personal and political hostility to Jeremy Corbyn’s politics. We will be pursuing complaints at every level.
The Labour Party will fully investigate any complaints concerning the antisemitic incidents reported by party members in interviews in the programme. Labour stands in solidarity with Jewish people and is fully committed to the support, defence and celebration of the Jewish community and its organisations.
Despite claims made in the programme, Labour is taking decisive action against antisemitism. Since Jennie Formby became general secretary the rate at which antisemitism cases have been dealt with has increased more than four-fold. We will build on the improvements to our procedures made under Jennie Formby, and continue to act against this repugnant form of racism.”
In the LP statement it says:
‘The Labour Party will fully investigate any complaints concerning the antisemitic incidents reported by party members in interviews in the programme.’
Yeah, but surely they would have reported them at the time they happened, if they really happened, and the reason they didn’t, is because they didn’t!
This is what happens when you respond to attacks with capitulation and appeasement and bring over your doorstep a weapon which is meant not to protect you but to harm you, the IHRA definition – the attacks become stronger and more viscious. We now have a situation where America is controlling the Tories and Israel is doing its best to control the Labour Party and dictate who should NOT be our next PM.
The LP ‘anti-Semitism’ investigators were not acting independently they were listening to the backdrop of baying Zionists such as Watson, Mann and Hodge screaming for the scalps of anyone who criticised Israel. Apart from Chris Williamson, few others in the Party were willing to pit their voices against the chorous of Israeli stooges.
It is still going on today.
I dare say there were more than a few who would like to have done so, but then they saw what happened to Ken Livingstone (who was just alluding to an historical fact) and to Jackie Walker (who was also falsely accused) and Marc Wadsworth etc, and were intimidated into staying silent by the threat of being falsely accused themselves, just as has now happened with Chris.
Oops! This was supposed to appear just under Jack’s 1.29am post (and to be in the name of Allan Howard!)
But many who DID, were suspended……. Just like Chris!
Correct, I should have said ‘few others in the PLP’
Re-posting!
I dare say there were more than a few who would like to have done so, but then they saw what happened to Ken Livingstone (who was just alluding to an historical fact) and to Jackie Walker (who was also falsely accused) and Marc Wadsworth etc, and were intimidated into staying silent by the threat of being falsely accused themselves, just as has now happened to Chris.
Comrade Jack,
John Ware is constantly referred to either as a BBC or a Panorama journalist……more accurately referred to as Jewish Chronicle journalist.
I felt sorry for so many of those poor kids who suffered from mental health problems while investigating Anti-Semitism. It must have been difficult differentiating between Anti-Semitic tropes & Anti-Zionist tropes & whether ‘Jewishness is dependant on a state or a religion or both?
A recent Employment Tribunal ruling in a case brought by the Zionist Federation against the UCU declared “a belief in Zionism or attachment to Israel was not intrinsically part of Jewishness…..& could not be protected under equality law”. The case for Anti-Semitic discrimination was thrown out. We need strong leadership from Jennie Formby & the NEC to do the same with the IHRA definition which they adopted in contravention of the Freedom of Speech Act, Article 10.
It was reported in the Jewish Chronicle that Rebecca Long-Bailey has called for Chris Williamson to be expelled from the Labour Party. Can anybody confirm?
🙂 Allan, that exclamation mark looked like a ‘t’ at first glance 🙂
Just a thought , I understand that odious individual Ian McNicol signed a non disclosure clause and yet he has now apparently breached that clause , would this not allow Labour to bring a case and SUE THE LITTLE SHIT !
I don’t know if he’s Jewish, but even if he isn’t, THAT would be anti-semitic!
Well if someone called Riley or Mann can be Jewish, so can a McNicol, I guess.
They’re not fussy…
Tim, I’ve had to delete ‘groupies’ comments from you several times now. No more, please, or I’ll have to bar you from commenting.
Really? Ok soz fair enough 😯
Agreed Alan by some PLP Mps just breathing is !
Well done rob and glad you spotted it.. You’ve got him bang on and report to HQ and suggest enforcment of non disclosure sanctions financial…..pensions etc
The trouble is, rob, non-disclosure agreements don’t have a good look in general as a defense mechanism – they often are associated with having something to hide.
Bit of a double bind that one.
RH We all don’t have a good look to the media,so lets get on with sanctions to any employees breifing against the Labour party!.Then we can deal with the chicken coup 2,,and set up a proper rebutal system no matter how much it costs!At the rate we are going ,being used as a punch bag we will be lucky to keep our members and funding?
Yes solidarity to Jennie & the LOTO Team.
I complained to the BBC re their news report prior to Panorama – it said Labour members have been protesting below a photo of Jewish protestors who may not have been Labour members – shoddy journalism? I also asked them if they would be looking into the fact that disgruntled Anti-Corbyn then members of staff shredded thousands of documents relating to AS claims?(sounds like a criminal offence?).
And usual non-socialist lightweights out today with usual blah! blah! blah! and they should leave Labour but perhaps they need the Labour brand so they can continue to make a nice living on the backs of diverse working people.
A recent cross European report on Hate crimes showed AS hate crimes as 1.5%, against Hate Crimes against Muslims 4%, Disabled 8% and LGBT 14% so Labour will continue to fight all of this, the report also showed that the UK was one of the safest places in Europe for Jewish citizens.
According to Hope Not Hate, Far Right US billionaires (barbarians) are funding far right groups and individual right wing barbarians here too.
Labour and the trade unions will continue to be on the front line confronting them but the question is will the Right and assorted lightweights in Labour and political critics outside too join us on the front line opposing Right Wing Barbarianism?
Or are they all gob and no trousers?
Thanks for the reminder Bazza – it must have been PMQ’s this Wednesday that May called Jeremy “all mouth & trousers” or something like it.
Hearing it reminded me of the fucking days of furore caused on a previous occasion by his mouthing “Stupid woman” or something like it under his breath – as if he’d used heinously un-parliamentary language.
It really is one law for the gobshites in the mansions and another for us.
Turf over all their heads can’t come soon enough for me.
It strikes me that it would be good if someone does a forensic, minute-by-minute, proper academic content analysis of this programme in order to take it apart.
I don’t think that it should be difficult to demonstrate the inherent bias.
Perhaps the BBC might be challenged to properly investigate the propositions contained in Peter Oborne’s documentary on the Lobby and the Al Jazeera evidence on the same?
See The People’s Britain Facebook site
RH, the BBC own the narrative and are able simply to ignore challenges – except for the nice fluffy ones they choose to respond to on Points of View.
I think the only challenge ALL the MSM would be forced to cover would be in the Courts.
RH. I’ve not read through all the new comments since I last logged on but this could be a start to your suggestion (below) and I guess that Skwawky’s silence for the last 24hr is because he is acting upon your suggestion.
Many of us for a long time have suspected that the LP is institutionally Zionist and that anti-Zionists, especially Jews, are targeted for expulsion. This is now beyond doubt:
https://twitter.com/NAJ562/status/1149116651998187521/photo/1
https://twitter.com/AlexJohnMason93/status/1149117809596739585/photo/1
Breaking News
Tommy Robinson sentenced to 9 months in prison
Which with time already served will mean he will do all of 10 weeks 😞
That’ll be plenty of time to get beaten to a pulp by the Jihadi gangs he claims control UK prisons! 😂
Once again, JVL is in the forefront of clear, cool and cogent rebuttal :
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/statement/bbc-panoramas-is-labour-antisemitic/
… but, of course, its views are hardly ever mentioned in comparison with those of the BoD nexus.
Meanwhile, the Groan has an interview with one Louise Withers Green who worked for the Party in the complaints unit.
It’s an interesting insight into an individual struggling with mental health issues and working in what was probably a pretty dysfunctional workplace. What is noticeable in the interview is the lack of anything that might be considered hard, useful evidence – just the impressionistic narrative of a person probably too young and inexperienced to be dealing with serious complaints and able to relate them to a wider context.
… which brings us to that key underlying issue about *actual* examples of this ‘widespread’ ‘antisemitism’. Many of us will note how singularly lacking these still are *in relation to Party members* (rather than utterances of the usual quota of fringe nutters on social media).
All we have in front of us is knowledge about high-profile cases where a member has been suspended or expelled.
And what do these show? Of course – what they actually show – without exception – is the falsity of the ‘antisemitism’ accusations in these cases. Oh! – and the victimisation of Jewish members whose faces don’t fit establishment predelictions . Well I never!
Comrades,
Beware ‘WordPress’.
My account has been closed after the company took unauthorised money from my bank account & now prevent me from posting or receiving comments. i can only post comment via my wife’s G Mail. I understand many will be pleased with this outcome, but beware of WordPress!
You mean they hacked your bank account?!
Blimey. Still, I wouldn’t do internet banking for fear of exactly something like this happening. How much did they take and how do you know it was them?
Commiserations, anyway.
Not exactly Timfrom,
I opened a blog account & paid in advance (June 2018) for one year., not in perpetuity. No address available….Dublin.
………….£62. Identified on Credit Card Account.
Be careful out there!
Lots of companies are into auto-renewal these days. The selling point is meant to be that it’s convenient for the punter, but you gotta read the small print.
Steve Richards, you may find that at set-up renewal is automatic unless the customer cancels before renewal date – commonly the renewal date is difficult to find, T&C’s are early in the sign-up process and “page back” to read them isn’t possible without starting again, the payment on your statement is a name you’ve never heard of, contact is a long wait on the phone and cancellation is a total faff in every way they can make it so.
I don’t know about WP though, I don’t pay them anything.
have made a complaint to BBC in light of recent issues with the Jeremy Kyle show,
have asked them for assurance that the mental health of the participants has been taken care of, they have a duty of care methinks, where there is a history of problems
Andrew Gwynne and Dawn Foster Guardian journalist having no Labour spokesperson on Politics Live to support her is clear evidence the party does not have senior people capable of pushing back in the media
in which case bring in key jewish supporters or Geordie Galloway to reek havoc on MMS, toilet papers and usual suspects
Just walked in to my daughter’s house in time to see a bit of bbc news with Twatson’s visage mouthing off to the camera, as usual. I was almost sick. He’s long overdue a very long holiday involving a long walk off a short pier.
Just watched Panorama programme on You Tube, pretty weak piece of Goebells propaganda but as a piece of investigative journalism?
He only interviews ex-staffers (some Jewish) and some known to be Anti-Corbyn who are unhappy with Labour but interviews no Jewish Labour members from the thousands who are perfectly happy in Labour (such as members of the brilliant Jewish Voice for Labour) so perhaps a partial study?
He accepts a lot of opinion “We were a great team!” Evidence? Managerial praise? Awards? Some of us have known some of the worst teams in the World but they all thought they were great!
One ex official said the Corbyn victory brought in a large group with “a new global perspective” – quite an homogenous (they are all the same) view of the Left?
He interviewed the former GS but no probing questions for example why was the disciplinary process so slow and ineffective on his watch? What were his comments on the claims that some ex staff members shredded thousands of documents relating to cases re anti-semitism and stole some to leak them, to hold up the process?
Do you think these were criminal acts Mr N?
Some of the Jewish members gave examples of AS comments but where is the proof that these were by Labour members? (remember Margaret Hodge sent in 200 complaints and only 20 were found to be LP members).
One person shown said that someone he met had been a holocaust denier and was shocked to see him at Labour Conference but was this person a Labour member, a delegate, a visitor, a protester outside? We were not told and if it was a member who made such a disgraceful comment, did he report him? If not, why not?
We were not told.
Re a ‘civil war’ (?) in Labour but weren’t the perpetrators of attempting this the Right Wing of Labour (2 coup attempts) who couldn’t accept the JC DEMOCRATIC victory (twice!)?
Before the JC victory one interviewee said there had been few cases but since weren’t there more cases because more claims of AS were sent in – 250 from Hodge and Watson alone?
Also to relate the increase to JC’s victory is pure speculation some could suggest it could be down to Right Wingers reporting more people (and sone suggest some groups HAVE in recent years been consistently trawling Labour members FB page histories?)
But Labour’s own data for a 12 month period shows1200 or so AS claims in one year, about 16 walked before end of the process, 15 were expelled that’s 0.0006% of a membership of 560,000.
Also weren’t SM and JF pressing for a speedier and more effective HO process (to clear up the mess caused by previous staff and GS?)
Could go on but weakness after weakness after weakness – A FAIL.
But just read Hate Crime Bulletin, England and Wales, Home Office, October 2018: Of 94,098 hates crimes in previous 12 months – Jewish 1.1% Muslim 4.4% Disabled 7.7% and LGBT 14% and we need to combat all of this and to offer solidarity to all diverse working people.
And Labour and the Trade Unions will be on the front line fighting racism in all it’s forms – join it!
Just a tiny insight into the working of media propaganda – and the (even possibly unconscious) manipulation of language.
Listening to WATO this lunchtime, reporting on reaction to the BBC ‘documentary’ (aka fictionalised account) on ‘antisemitism’.
Those complaining about the reportage were referred to as ‘Corbyn supporters’, whilst those continuing the campaign against him were referred to simply as ‘MPs’ – unidentified by any specific allegiance.
This is a fairly typical example of the drip-drip of partisan opinion formation – an explicitly partisan label shifting to forced a ‘neutrality’ when the opposing reference point is described. Subtle, continual and deadly.
Along with BBC interviewers repeatedly allowing known anti Corbyn lies to pass without comment or challenge. Its pernicious.
Have they changed from .Moderates to Mps.The cunning Bastards!What’s next Anti ginger phobia.We need an urgent investigation by panorama?
RH, I agree on the not-so-subtle manipulation of language.
Remember when strikers were always “demanding” and bosses “negotiating?”
These things have their intended effect on the average not-so-subtle MSM consumer.
Norman Smith just accused Jeremy Corbyn of being “deeply opposed to Israel” which means “opposed to the existence of Israel” – when in truth he, like the rest of the Left, is opposed only to the current Israeli government’s actions that oppress Palestinians.
That was a clear and false accusation of antisemitism that I believe to be actionable.
I hope somebody has a tape of his piece to camera – on BBC News channel about ten minutes ago – between 1:15 and 1;20 I think.
David McNiven. I remember when Norman Smith first started appearing on the BBC. When referring to unions in negotiations he often prefixed his reference to unions as ‘militant’. At the time, I posted a warning to beware the planting of subconscious messages by BBC staff.
I contacted Emily Maitlis recently on Newsnight to question her rather fawning interview with Lord Triesman after he had resigned from Labour. I asked he if she knew that Triesman was part of the Zionist group within Labour who are trying to bring down Jeremy Corbyn. She responded by saying “you make the case for antisemitism well”
Wow. Evil feckin witch! 😈
Jack T, does she not realise how blatant a display of bias that is?
Calling out false allegations and the political motive behind them is apparently evidence that you are a racist.
Oh yes, she realises all right. That there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.
Smug bitch!
has anyone else noticed the move by TWatson to anti jewish racism
whats going on lads and lasses
I haven’t noticed it Doug. Could give a bit more detail please – this is a genuine enquiry. thanks
what is anti jewish racism/hatred
methinks we need to call in TWatson and Hodge to ask them to clarify,
if they are bringing party into disrepute then suspend them,
Smartboy
my point is they are now casting their nets a lot wider
regards
It’s important to note that Panorama was making an effective visual argument in the way they presented the various former staffers. In each case they did the same thing, apparently giving us their inner thoughts, before showing them actually speaking. Also, the lighting and camera angles were designed professionally to make them look more sympathetic, and they were not identified until well on in the programme. The journalist too was shown in a way where he looked slightly over his glasses to give the impression of sincerity. All this was to colour the actual political content of the programme and make the viewer accept its claims in good faith. All the interviewees were part of a single faction working in the party offices until they were removed by the leadership for their obstructive behavior, including shredding thousands of documents relating to investigations and then sharing copies with the media.
Yes, exactly Tom, it was all carefully choreographed for maximum effect AND ’emotionalising’ the audience from the outset.
Absolutely!
Also:
1. No probing questions
2. No interviews with Jewish Corbyn supporters. There was not even an acknowledgement that such people exist.
3. No mention of Corbyn’s support for Jewish causes
4 No mention of Jackie Walker having Jewish ancestry
5 Ominous music in the background
I see the BBC were at it again on the lunchtime news – Labour defending itself against the allegations was described as ” denigrating young whistleblowers” by a BBC reporter,
I have made a complaint to the BBC about this and the lack of balance in the Panorama programme and I urge others to do likewise.
“Tom Watson, has stepped up his criticism of Jeremy Corbyn over antisemitism in the party by backing calls for automatic exclusion of members accused of anti-Jewish racism.” (The Groan)
O.K. Tom. I guess you’ll also agree to a balancing automatic sanction for those using false ‘antisemitism’ allegations as a political weapon?
Let’s get completely ‘neutral’ in things related to discipline and opposing prejudice, shall we?
Oh … and, of course, we will need a simple, objective and accurate definition of ‘antisemitsm’ to work with won’t we? … which means ditching the partisan IHRA confusion about Israel and zionism. We could, for instance, turn to those Jewish lawyers that have so cogently criticized that IHRA mash-up for a better framework.
What? You didn’t quite catch that?
Quelle surprise.
As a lay trade unionist I am very familiar with workplace disciplinary procedures.I have represented many members over the years and if they have done something wrong I always seek to present mitigating circumstances to the employer for consideration.
Most employers will take these into account and give an employee , even one who who has committed a serious breach of discipline, a second chance in the form of a written warning sometimes a final written warning. Sometimes in serious cases an employer will demote a member or require him/her to undergo additional training.
Our party has its roots in the Trade Union movement and I genuinely fail to see why Tom Watson’s solution to the anti semetism issue is to “automatically expel” anybody found to have been anti semetic – this leaves no room for human error and also means that if a person has expressed an anti semetic opinion there is no possibility of redemption or a change of heart.
Surely rather than expel a person who has behaved in an anti semetic way it would be much better to send them on specialist training and engage them in some sort of restorative justice programme whereby they could meet with Jewish people they have hurt and hear from them just how deeply they were affected by offender’s anti semetism.
The offender could then receive a warning that any repetition could/would result in expulsion from the party. I think this would eradicate anti semetism in the party very swiftly and is a much better option than
automatic expulsion.
Expelling an anti semite from the party won’t change that person but giving them access to training and letting them see how their anti semetic behaviour affects others just might. If it doesn’t and they re-offend the party still has the option to expel them
Watson’s agenda is to supplant Corbyn by any means.
“Look, this would all be sorted in a week if only I were Leader” is his subtext.
Did you really mean “I genuinely fail to see?”
And isn’t the verbal>written>final warning process essential if management wishes to beat wrongful dismissal claims when there’s been no gross misconduct?
If a person is unfairly expelled from a political party unfortunately he/she has no redress except perhaps through the courts, a process which is slow and expensive.
Therefore best course of action for all concerned in our disciplinary process is for the disciplinary panel to evaluate all the evidence and take into consideration any mitigating circumstances and then ask – what do we want to accomplish – do we want to punish the offender or is there any possibility he/she could see the error of his ways.
People do you know – look at the late George Wallace a State governor in the USA’s Deep south, a rabid racist who in the end totally changed and apologised frequently and profusely for his previous racism.
Surely this is what we should be aiming for- changing the mindset of anti semites by training and as I said previously a form of restorative justice. That way we mightn’t just have one less anti semite in the party but we might have one less anti semite in society too.
Smartboy, my question re warnings etc. was in relation to your own experience – certainly people can change – I was raised in a time of almost universal racism and didn’t fully come around until I was in my early teens.
My doubts about the right wing of our party ever seeing the light are because they haven’t already – I don’t believe anyone with their access to expertise could be unaware of the impossibility of any ‘centrist’ policy preventing the wealth gap growing until the 1% own the whole planet in their doomed drive for ever-increasing growth.
No pleas to common sense or their better natures, no tax increase or decrease, no fund to renew and repair the environment, no assurances on generous benefits after vast swathes of AI redundancies will make more than a trivial impact on the problems capitalism has created and will continue to create.
Ask the centre or the right for their policy plans and if they answer at all they’ll be laughably inadequate.
How could they not be aware – the only conceivable explanation for their rejection of the obvious is that they don’t care – because deep down they think that in the worst case their position will guarantee them a place in a nuclear powered, air-and-water-filtered “lifeboat” community of the privileged while the rest of the world turns to dust.
DMcN
“…in the worst case their position will guarantee them a place in a nuclear powered, air-and-water-filtered “lifeboat” community of the privileged…”
Boy, have they got a surprise coming!
Automatic exclusion for anyone who is merely ‘accused’.
Deeply sinister!
Salem. 1690s.
Can anyone explain to me the moral difference between Tommy Robinson/Yaxley-Lennon, who makes false accusations about muslims for political gain and those who are making false accusations about anti racists in the Labour party for political gain? Because I can’t see any.
Another excellent piece on the JVL website – by Anthony Lerman – whose credentials are a *little* more convincing than Tom Watson’s on this issue 🙂
“A serious, objective and fair context-based investigation of @UKLabour and the antisemitism issue may be a legitimate project. This wasn’t it, but rather an egregious betrayal of the values of public service broadcasting, shamefully fuelling a sickening moral panic.”
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/panorama-a-case-for-the-prosecution/
Doug ……….maybe he’s tired and confused,not suprising really ,all that dieting and pills,perhaps he confuses juduisim and race with religion .Thats why my wife and son are sometimes mistaken for middle eastern descent and both are Jewish. . My wife says I remind her of a potato,but that’s just racist.I think Tom Watson should be a very worried man,with time for a coup running . Out. Maybe he should join tonight’s start of the Orange lodges Catholic baiting season,he’s always up for a bit of trouble? ,secratarian strife would be just up his street,.I will supply the bowler hat and I know he likes to bang the drum!
I’ve often wondered if he might be on the “Colombian” diet… 🙂
David mcnivan…… Like
Some good songs on radio tonight:
‘Wide eyed and legless’
‘The Snake’
‘Yes I’m the Great Pretender’
And John Lennon – Just Give Me Some Truth.
And adapted ELO song lyrics:
“Hold on tight to your dreams.
Oh Jeremy Corbyn!”
Then reminded myself of a poem wot I wrote:
‘Oh Veritas shine thy brighest beam.
And vanquish evil stories.
To smite thine great invisible foe.
Then come ye for the Tories!”
Sleep tight comrades, we will win
“And only the stars will ride the storm!”
Having watched the Panorama programme the BBC is no longer an authoritative nor impartial broadcaster. There was no balance in the programme the interviewer did not ask questions of those who say they left due to AS not being taken seriously. No questions regarding the alleged destruction of evidence that could have led to prosecutions of those who are guilty of AS in the party. This alone should mean they are reported to the police and investigated, their alleged destruction of material could lead to more verbal or physical intimidation to individuals and this maybe considered to be an offence by the police.
We now have a deputy leader of the Labour Party trying to destroy the party from within with impunity. This must and should be challenged! I call on the Shadow Cabinet to find someone to run against Tom Watson at the earliest opportunity, he needs to be told by the membership that his future in the party is untenable.
I do believe there is a case to answer by the BBC and that the party should take immediate legal action against the BBC as we now know (if we didn’t already) that the BBC has become just the propaganda arm for the Conservative and Unionist Party.
Chris fox……like……I have written and even had a chat with some helpful individuals at HQ,but basically get the runaroud and my letters and emails noted.I hate to say this but when I was involved in a religious hate dispute I wrote to the priminister Blair and received help and advice from the home office regarding a new law of incitment to religious hatred.I even spoke to blunket about the situation in Lewes regarding the death threats and eventual attacks.Why are we so weak on organisations and medial training,.We are in the middle of a fight for survival .We have a massive membership and money coming in.we have a war chest and we desperately need to fight back and stop pi55ing in the wind! .I would urge eveyone to spread the word and give the traitors a taste of the red fightback
I have said it before and I will say it again. Bliarites need to be expunged from the party. You only need to view the twitter accounts of the likes of Watson, Cooper, et al and review these on the facts presented here and in OffGuardian. JC needs to lance the boil.