Keir Starmer has sparked a furious backlash from Labour leftwingers by refusing to readmit Jeremy Corbyn as a Labour MP, arguing that his predecessor has undermined efforts to restore the party’s reputation in the Jewish community.
A disciplinary panel of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) lifted the suspension of Corbyn’s party membership on Tuesday after he issued a conciliatory statement “clarifying” controversial remarks he made when the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published a damning report on Labour antisemitism.
In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, Starmer said he would not be welcoming Corbyn back into the parliamentary Labour party (PLP). “Jeremy Corbyn’s actions in response to the EHRC report undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour party’s ability to tackle antisemitism,” Starmer said. “In those circumstances, I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn. I will keep this situation under review.”
The decision sparked an angry response from Corbyn’s backers in the PLP, including Diane Abbott, John McDonnell and Richard Burgon, who accused Starmer of jeopardising party unity. Andrew Scattergood, the co-chair of the grassroots campaign group Momentum, accused the party leader of “making it up as he goes along”.
A Labour spokesman said Corbyn was informed of the decision by the chief whip by phone on Wednesday morning. He repeatedly insisted the decision to readmit Corbyn as a party member had been made by Labour HQ, not Starmer’s office. Pressed on how long the suspension could last, the spokesman refused to be drawn, repeatedly saying he would not “give a running commentary”.
Starmer appeared to repudiate the NEC’s decision, which was made under disciplinary rules being reviewed as part of the response to the EHRC report. He said: “The disciplinary process does not have the confidence of the Jewish community. That became clear once again yesterday. It is the task of my leadership to fix what I have inherited.”
