I too was furious when I read that Labour MPs were to “stay clear of” members expelled because of anti-semitism. Now of course these members were not expelled because of anti-Semitism

However do you know what it reminded me of? Sending people to Coventry over something they did or didn’t do .. Now this happened in the 1940s and 1950s to – I think – Trade Union Members and was condemned by the MSM. From what I can remember there was a play – and possibly also a film – about it where the person given this treatment committed suicide ..

For this to happen now is particularly awful – when we are all facing a frightening future because of COVID – with BAME communities particularly affected.

What a tangled web of nonsense – all deriving from the Party leadership’s lack of resistance to the BoD/Israel lobby’s blatant politicking, using the identity of Jewishness as cover.

We can see plainly the emergence into the light of the partisan strategy of dissimulation that has occurred using the label of ‘antisemitism’ – to the eternal shame of those that have abused the term in search of political leadership. ‘Disgust’ is not too strong a term for a sane reaction to the perversion of a serious issue within the wider context of racism and prejudice. It defiles both sense and memory – especially because it seeks to divert attention from actual ethnic oppression. The dishonesty and hypocrisy is immense.

Of course, those who were awake saw the tactics emerging with the issue of the IHRA mess of a fake ‘definition’ The pass was sold at that point – and the consequences seen in the hounding of real anti-racists.

The Labour Party then crumbled again in endorsing guilt by association – and, of course, instead of facing down the blatant right wing political campaign, we had leadership candidates endorsing further totally insupportable demands from the enemies of the Party operating under an identity cover.

Starmer is an experienced lawyer. I find it hard to justify his stance on the basis of ignorance of normal judicial crtieria. So – all one can say is a rehearsal of Nye Bevan’s words about Eden at the time of Suez :

“If he believes what he is saying, then he is too *stupid* to be Prime Minister. If he *doesn’t* believe what he is saying, then he is too *dishonest* to be Prime Minister.”

Choose the cap that fits ….

I think it is pretty clear by now that we can’t expect Starmer et al to show any concern or decency in their response to both the leaked report and the BoD. So I believe what should now be considered is what we, as a Jewish organisation are going to do. If we haven’t already done so, I hope we will be in touch with Diane Abbott & Bell Ribeiro-Addy to express our solidarity with them. As MPs of colour, they have experienced too much racism for us to by-pass them. (My apologies if JVL has already been in contact with them.) In my view we should be working with these 2 MPs, BAME Labour and with other representatives of the Black community outside the Labour Party in the UK about what our next steps will be. I would be very happy to help in this.

“Expelled for antisemitism”!!!!!!!!! More lies from the biased public broadcaster. No mention that as far as I am aware it is not an offence within the party to speak to people who have been expelled.
As for the Leadership’s comments on the issue – the less said the better. Reminds me of the 1930’s cartoon of the LP showing a dog (representing the LP) whose tail was labelled trade unions wagging the body and head – only it appears its the BoD now. I have lodged a complaint with the BBC (not that it will count for much).

Unfortunately, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Diane Abbott didn’t defend themselves, or anyone else who might come under the BoD’s cosh. They apologised:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52487758

‘A joint statement from a spokesman for Ms Abbott and Ms Ribeiro-Addy said: “The MPs were not aware that any suspended or expelled former members of the Labour Party might contribute as audience members.

“They did not and would not share a platform with them. Both MPs are long-standing anti-racist campaigners and are known for standing up to all forms of bigotry.”‘

I’d sooner disciplinary action was taken against anyone who shared 10 pledges with the BoD.

Absolutely appalling and disgusting behavior from labour. How dare they protect those in the leaked report and fail to suspend the persons in the report committing racist and abusive attacks on members and mp’s yet instead choose to add and promote such despicable racist behavior by instead attacking victims of such vile abhorrent racism. I stand in solidarity with Diane and Bell and all innocent victims of the witch hunt.

It is a reasonable assumption to make that Keir Starmer’s disgusting and craven obeisance to the BoD’s demands had an unspoken quid pro quo from the BoD leadership. Starmer is a sharp operator: he didn’t have to go as far as he did in proclaiming himself an unconditional Zionist, because since Corbyn and his collaborators have lost power, the BoD’s hysterical attacks on the Labour party as an institution no longer have quite the same resonance as before amongst the liberal hacks of the fourth estate.

So what might the unspoken bargain be between Starmer and the current BoD leadership? One clue may be provided by the otherwise apparently insane attacks against the BoD leadership by the Tory right in the form of Robert Halfon MP, and the follow-up letter from 20 anonymous BoD dissident members supporting Halfon and accusing the leadership of being “intent on pursuing a left of centre political agenda and (having) a partisan bias.”
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/trouble-at-tmill/

Could it be that there is a secret deal that the Labour Party will at all times unconditionally support the apartheid state as part of its foreign policy, expelling all leftwing dissidents as necessary, while in return the BoD will remain strictly neutral in domestic politics and refrain from attacks on the Labour Party? Or perhaps Starmer even hopes to win the tacit allegiance of the BoD to the Labour party by outcompeting the Tories in anti-Palestinian bigotry?

After nearly 30 years as a member, I am giving myself until the next NEC’s elections. If the left manage to retain at least 5 out of the 9 seats reserved to CLPs, I will stay and fight. If we don’t manage to pull together I will leave. I refuse to be a member of the Party under a leadership that ignore the serious allegations of sabotage against the Party form higher up paid officials, and them engage in racist behaviour against two of its MPs

What a mess the Labour Party is Starmer! No good calling for unity if you are not analytic and proactive about it. It might as well be Bozo calling for 100,000 tests a day.

“So what might the unspoken bargain be between Starmer and the current BoD leadership?”

George Wilmers asks a very pertinent question. As someone who has mainly used Occam’s Gillette substitute when faced with conspiracy theories, I find myself constantly with a growth of beard these days – because the instrument is much blunter than it used to be.

As I’ve said earlier, he most unbelievable explanation for Starmer’s recent behaviour is that he is ignorant or credulous about what is actually going on. No-one with a serious legal background in the weighing of evidence could possibly support the fictions that we have been subjected to.

So Starmer can have “a serious word with Diane Abbott MP and Bell Ribeiro Addy MP for speaking at a zoom meeting ” but has nothing to say about the Labour leaked report, no suspensions…not even a cross word. Cor blimey wot a leader !!!

Diane and Bel are two dynamic African female political warriors and they get my support all the way.

The Labour Party leadership has blindly supported an extreme right wing group against two black female mps in their own party which given the Labour Parties past stance on being anti-racist is disgusting.

I’m utterly disgusted with this new regimé’s kow towing to the BoD. Are they now in charge of our party? Does Israel demand obedience? And treating these excellent MPs like naughty children is so offensive. Tell the BoD to get out or Labour will lose us all.

By targeting the two who were supposed to be on the platform, Tony Greenstein and Jacky Walker, both Jewish, (who were not expelled or suspended for antisemitism) the Labour Party and the Board of Deputies can be accused of antisemitism themselves, and of course targeting two black women MPs, of unalloyed racism.
Something must be done to stop this surreal and Kafka-esque state of affairs. If not the Labour Party is descending into a mire from which it will be hard to extricate itself. This is the time when Labour should be grabbing the opportunity to effect real change against the government and even demand a new election due to the government’s outrageous mishandling of the pandemic. Instead the whole caboodle of the Israel Lobby will never end trying to bring it down, Corbyn or no-Corbyn. This is a serious threat to democracy and free speech and must be exposed as such.