Left-wing figures tell Corbyn ally to quit after ‘Jewish Trump fanatics’ rant
Columnist Owen Jones, aide Matt Zarb-Cousin and journalist Ash Sarkar all turn on NEC member Pete Willsman
Leading left-wing commentators with a record of supporting Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday called for a Corbyn ally to be booted off Labour’s ruling body after audio from a crunch meeting was leaked.
Guardian columnist Owen Jones, former Corbyn aide Matt Zarb-Cousin and British-Indian journalist Ash Sarkar all turned on Pete Willsman, a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), with Zarb-Cousin saying: “It’s time to go.”
It came as the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) told the party’s general-secretary to reconsider the case for disciplinary action against Willsman, after audio emerged of him ranting about anti-Semitism during this month’s NEC meeting discussing Labour’s new code of conduct.
In the audio, obtained by the Jewish Chronicle, Willsman can be heard calling some Jews “fanatical Trump supporters,” demanding evidence from rabbis, and explaining how social media accounts can be “falsified very easily”.
In his letter to Jennie Formby on Tuesday, JLM chair Ivor Caplin said there was now “a prima facie case to bring disciplinary charges” despite Formby having already addressed concern in an initial letter to the JLM, sent before the audio was leaked.
In it she said she had accepted Willsman’s apology “for what I said and the way I said it,” adding that “any repetition of similar conduct is likely to result in formal disciplinary action”.
However in his apology, Willsman also suggested he had been misrepresented by reporting. Caplin’s latest letter said the audio “significantly departs” from the apology.
Formby said she had asked Labour’s Governance and Legal Unit to ascertain what was said, despite suggestions that both she and Corbyn were present during the comments.
NEC members are due to soon be elected by the party, and despite continued support for Willsman from Chris Williamson MP, Sarkar said the under-fire member “should withdraw his candidacy immediately”. Likewise Jones tweeted: “After his comments, there’s no way I’ll vote for Pete Willsman for Labour’s NEC.”
READ MORE:
- Peter Willsman refers himself for equalities training over anti-Semitism rant
- OPINION: As long as Pete Willsman remains there can be no trust at all
- OPINION: This Labour horse is dead, stop flogging it
- OPINION: Anti-Semitism and Corbyn’s warped worldview go hand-in-hand
Perhaps the most direct criticism came from Zarb-Cousin, who said Willsman “should withdraw from the left slate, which he shouldn’t have been anywhere near in the first place to be honest”.
He added: “You’ve had your time Pete, time to do. Let someone else have a chance, preferably someone who doesn’t downplay racism.”
Dame Margaret Hodge told Jewish News: “When you listen to his outburst it is full of vitriol and loathing. Horrible and shocking. What is utterly awful is that neither the Leader nor the General Secretary sought to intervene to put a stop to the bile he was spouting. He was in an environment where he felt safe saying unspeakable things. Just awful’ something like that?”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
