Lansman: ‘Antisemitism and factionalism’ to blame for ‘most traumatic years of my life’

Momentum founder Jon Lansman has claimed a combination of the “emergence of antisemitism” in Labour coupled with “profound factionalism and hatred on both sides, left and right” contributed to the “most traumatic, stressful years of my life.”

In controversial comments made at a packed session re-evaluating the impact of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership at the Jewish Labour Movement’s annual conference, Lansman also criticised co-panellist Dame Margaret Hodge for what he described as being a “pointless” attempt to oust the ex-leader.

Lansman, who stood down as Momentum chair in May 2020, accepted Corbyn could not comprehend it is possible to be “an anti-racist but still have racist prejudice.”

He added:”We all have prejudice, we have to be aware of our prejudice. Jeremy doesn’t get that actually, and that’s at the heart of it.”

Lansman continued:”You have got to be careful about the word antisemite.”

Referring to the much criticised Forde Report into Labour’s leaked antisemitism report, Lansman backed claims there had been a “weaponisation of antisemitism on both sides” which he said “made things worse.”

Speaking at Sunday’s conference – which was largely free of much discussion of Corbyn’s time as Labour leader – Lansman said he found reliving the years between 2015-19 “very traumatic and stressful because these were the most traumatic, stressful years of my life.”

He then described what he said was “the combination of the emergence of antisemitism in the party, the visibility of antisemitism within the party, with a profound factionalism …hatred on both sides, left and right.”

Lansman added:”I’m still waiting for the conflict resolution for those of us who are left out.

“I feel in all places there still needs to be one.”

But Lansman accepted Corbyn did not have “the skills” necessary to become a proper leader, and had not initially wanted to be nominated.

He said Corbyn “grew to love to adulation” that he came to receive as leader.

But in an attack on Jewish Labour Movement parliamentary chair Hodge, Lansman accused her of being part of the failed “Chicken coup” in 2016, which he said only served to increase Corbyn’s grip on the leadership, while furthering factional divisions.

“The skullduggery was exposed,” he claimed of the attempt to replace Corbyn.

“That was a disaster that made things worse.”

Lansman praised JLM saying they “did not act factionally” during this period.

He spoke of a “serious attempt” to engage with Corbyn’s office in an attempt to resolve the crisis, led by Adrian Cohen and the late Rabbi Pinter.

The former Momentum chief also revealed he had not had a proper conversation with Corbyn since the disasterous 2019 election except for a few sentances when they bumped into one another in Westminster.

Responding to the claims, Barking and Dagenham MP Hodge said:”It wasn’t factionalism that made me understand Jeremy Corbyn was an antisemite and a racist.”

She said she had known Corbyn since her days as Islington Council leader in 1983, and had not thought of him as an antisemite until 2018 “because of his actions”, including the wreath laying and his comments defending the antisemitic Tower Hamlets mural.

She said Corbyn’s failure to endorse IHRA definition of antisemitism had proven to be final straw for her, leading to the confrontation with the former leader in Westminster.

Hodge said that under Corbyn the party became “a nasty antisemitic party” that was “so unpleasant of vicious” meaning many “moved away from it.”

She accepted the attempt to oust him was not a success, but said at that point there was no other option.

Hodge then praised Keir Starmer and his “fantastic team” arguing they had “restored a positive vision of hope” to Labour.

She turned to Lansman and said he had become “irrelevant” as she would when she stood down as an MP at the next election.

In a clear attack on Lansman, Dame Louise Ellman criticised what she said were the “bystanders” who failed to stand up against antisemtism, which had driven both herself and Luciana Berger out of the party.

Speaking from the audience Stella Creasy MP also rounded on Lansman saying many were still having to deal with consequences of Momentum supporters in their local communities.

“So help us out here Jon, do you want to apologise for what went on?,” the MP said.

Lansman told Ellman there was a “genuine problem” with antisemitism inareas such as Liverpool Riverside.

He said everyone had lessons to learn about what went wrong under Corbyn.

Some audience members later said that while they did not agree with Lansman’s views, they respected his decision to attend the conference and speak.

The tense debate was in contrast to most of the other sessions that take place at the JLM conference, deemed to be the group’s most successful yet.

The overall mood amongst attendees was one of optimism, with widespread recognition of the changes to the party made under Starmer’s leadership.

JLM sold more tickets for the event than there 2018 conference, which also took place at Jw3, but during the height of the antisemitism crisis.

Many sessions – including one with five London Assembly members – involved lively discussion about issues such as housing, transport and education.

Other sessions included Jewish trade unionism, student life and mental health, and tackling the gig economy.

Amongst groups exhibiting at the all-day event were the GMB, UNISON and USDAW unions , the Jewish Leadership Council, Yachad, LFI and the Labour To Win organisation.