He defended her at PMQs today, unfortunately at pretty much the same time as Lisa Nandy was publicly calling for her suspension.
Jeremy Corbyn - Not Not Labour Party(?), not a Communist (BBC)
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Yeah it's a bit annoying knowing he'll be smug at this news. Out of interest though isn't this antizionist and not antisemitism? Are those terms just interchangeable.
Most of my religious friends (on both sides) in my once home town of Bradford post stuff like this all the time so it's no suprise. I've had to gradually delete nearly all of them over the years.
Did he? That's a bit of a stretch.
He didn't throw her under the bus as he should have but he certainly didn't defend her actions.
I don't really consider her comments anti-semitic, what she said was pretty daft but there are jews who harbour similar sentiments regarding the ideology of Zionism.
He defended her, rather than what she said. The "she's fully apologised and it was a long time ago" is the classic brushing under the carpet, and it doesn't look good when she'd been his closest ally's PPS. Whereas Nandy wants her suspended from Labour.
The Jews cry out Anti Semitism at anything that questions Israel.
Well Nandy called for the policy of suspension to be enacted but I doubt that policy is supposed to cover historic cases while they weren't even members. I'm not even sure what she said is anti-Semitic
I think she's chosen poorly on her opportunity to get her name in the news.
I don't think her comments were at all acceptable and it would have been wise for Corbyn to at least have suspended her. There's a definite narrative building over anti-semitism which is (I think) being unfairly placed on Corbyn's lap considering that most of the comments that seem to be coming out were made before he was leader. However he has to show strength on the issue if he is to combat that narrative, especially considering McDonnell's recent comments on the subject - and he should be ruthless about wiping out any sort of bigotry within the party anyway.
Personally I'm disappointed. In light of Zac Goldsmith's repugnant campaign against Sadiq Khan and how Labour have quite rightly reacted to it I think it's hypocritical to be soft on bigotry. Of course it's also hypocritical for Cameron to have a go at Corbyn for being soft on the issue when Cameron was getting involved in the Khan stuff in PMQs last week, but that's just another reason why Corbyn should show his strength in tackling it.
Looks like a step backward to me after his improved recent performance. We'll see how it pans out I guess.
Personally I'm disappointed. In light of Zac Goldsmith's repugnant campaign against Sadiq Khan and how Labour have quite rightly reacted to it I think it's hypocritical to be soft on bigotry. Of course it's also hypocritical for Cameron to have a go at Corbyn for being soft on the issue when Cameron was getting involved in the Khan stuff in PMQs last week, but that's just another reason why Corbyn should show his strength in tackling it.
Looks like a step backward to me after his improved recent performance. We'll see how it pans out I guess.
Oh apparently she has been suspended now. I wonder if that is due to pressure or would have happened anyway. It will certainly look like the former to many (although I admittedly don't know any details on it).
Or just said what should happen because she thought it was right to do so, like everyone else.
The party's acted now and that's the main thing.
Corbyn's in a very awkward position. While I don't really think he's anti-semitic, he's no doubt aware that those who share his views on the Middle East clearly are. He really can't have his cake and eat it on this one.
The accusations made against him during the leadership race aside, @Shamwow's post explains the danger here. Whilst it is relatively easy for a reputation to be besmirched, recovery of such is far more difficulty. The Labour Party cannot afford to be seen as lax or unduly lenient.
I don't get the 'comments made before I was an MP' bit.
Is she saying she lied to get elected?
Is she saying she lied to get elected?
What don't you get? She wasn't in public office or representing anyone when she expressed those opinions. If you're going to round up MPs for actions or statements before their appointment then you'd have no one left.
I see some Labour MPs are now using this to go after Livingstone. I don't like him so would be happy to see the back of him but he's said absolutely nothing anti-Semitic in his statement.
The media and tories will jump on any criticism of the state of Israel as antisemitism for the next few months.
Not sure I agree with this - a wide part of the 'Israel debate' in the UK is clearly anti-semitic, or at the very least, results in anti-semitic sentiments being shared and promoted among anti-Israel campaigners. This may sadly be an unavoidable consequence of having Israel be the country that people are protesting against (sadly - from my East London based facebook feed it appears that way), but if we allow our elected officials to get away with such sentiments then the problem has no chance of improving.
Splitting the two (anti-semitism, and anti-Israel) is a very important issue for the Labour party, and coming down hard on people like Naz Shah is what has to be done to push us in the right direction.
Pretty much my view on it.
And Ken should feck off for good this time. The mental health comments months back were enough on their own.
Kick Livingstone out of Labour over anti-Semitism - Sadiq Khan
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36160135
This as gone way overboard. Ken as now been suspended for sticking up for his colleague.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36160135
This as gone way overboard. Ken as now been suspended for sticking up for his colleague.
Sounds like he's been kicked. I liked mayor Ken tbf, shame he's showing himself up as a tit.
Ah just saw. Even Jon Lansman was saying he had to go. How people can argue against it I'm not sure. Yeah when kept to talking about London he was fine, great after 7/7 too.
All this a week before council elections too, ffs.
Khan strikes me as a bit of a slimy charlatan. Reminds me of the kid in school who pretends he's your mate and then grasses you to the teacher to score brownie points.
But yeah this has been blow out of proportion. I expected this baiting from the Tory party (who on the other hand are more than happy to be mates with the Saudis, probably the most bigoted and anti-semitic nation on earth), but its been surreal watching half of Labour's MP line up to call him a cnut.
"Let’s remember when Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism – this before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews."
What he said on TV earlier.
"Before he went mad".
What he said on TV earlier.
"Before he went mad".
It was a stupid thing to say and in poor taste but the resulting witch-hunt and the accusations of anti-Semitism have been blown out of proportion. (Didn't Netanyahu himself claim that Hitler had initially intended to move the Jews?).
Why is it stupid? Stupid to bring it up but nothing he said is factually incorrect. See below
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haavara_Agreement
Nazi's and German Zionists working together from around 1933, it happened.
Looks like John Mann is in a bit of trouble as well for his histrionics.
I don't even like ken that much but generally don't get how what he said was wrong. He should have stayed out of it entirely mind, but still.
It's a stupid thing to say because in this country and media you can't mutually distinguish criticism of Zionism or Israel with anti-Semitism.
It was also stupid because the Tories and the Blairite cretins like John Mann would have obviously pounced on it.
I hope so, he's always been a massive cnut.
Fair enough, can't disagree with that.
What an odd and ill-advised thing to say; so odd that it's almost an irrelevant point. Hitler's early policies (in this area) towards Jewish people were always expedient at heart, not part of a wider point.
Glad they've acted quickly.
And hopefully Mann will be reprimanded as well
And hopefully Mann will be reprimanded as well
Why on Earth would you even bring Hitler up in that sort of situation? I can't see how he thought it added anything to his point. So stupid.
Exactly. Hitler was always harbouring a deep hatred of Jewish people, he didn't become anti-semitic only when he began slaughtering them. Which is why the "before he went mad" line is particularly disquieting. But it's basically designed to make people that defend the existence of Israel look like they're actually somehow in agreement with Hitler.
Owen Jones is always strong on this and actually recognises there's a big problem on the left with it:
It was completely irrelevant to what he was saying, it's like he got carried away and just decided to show off his knowledge of history
In that statement alone I still don't think he's said anything wrong, just stupid. His other comment shared in this thread is disgraceful.
I have a hatred for when Politicians jump on a news story demonstrating their emotion but not reason. I'd like all those opportunists tweeting saying this was disgraceful and racist to justify their claims.
This is exactly how Nazi Parliament started.
And them bendy buses were German too. *shakes fist*
Not that Boris' pledge to bring back the routemaster has met expectations.
Hitler would've sorted the public transport problems out in one month, while starring in On The Buses and Sparks.
Oy vey. 
I shall launch one of those 'frivolous appeal' thingies.
I shall launch one of those 'frivolous appeal' thingies.