Jeremy Corbyn urged to sack shadow equalities minister amid homophobia row
4 min read
Jeremy Corbyn is facing calls to sack his equalities spokesperson following claims she branded a former member of staff a "dyke".
Carolyn Harris's former aide Jenny Clarke was last month cleared of fraud following a trial in which she alleged the Labour frontbencher had assaulted her and used homophobic language.
The MP - who is also Labour's deputy leader in Wales - has denied the claims, but has come in for heavy criticism for telling the trial that any use of the word "dyke" would have been "just office banter".
Jon Lansman, the founder of pro-Corbyn grassroots campaign group Momentum, has now joined a string of Labour politicians attacking Ms Harris over the claims.
The veteran activist, who is also a member of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee, told the BBC: "I don't believe that Carolyn Harris can continue as a frontbench spokesperson on equalities when she has been accused in open court with supportive evidence of her former MP and then employer of homophobic abuse.
"I think she needs to be removed from her current role as equalities spokesperson.
"There must be in my view an immediate investigation of the alleged assault by the Labour party."
Jenny Rathbone, a Labour member of the Welsh Assembly, urged Ms Harris to stand down as shadow equalities minister "to clear her name", and said the claims raised doubts about her victory in this year's Welsh Labour deputy leadership race, where she saw off the Momentum-backed candidate, Julie Morgan.
Ms Rathbone said there was "clearly a question mark as to whether it is appropriate for the frontbencher to continue" and said that if the claims had been aired before the contest it could have "affected the number of people who put in their votes for Mrs Harris".
Welsh government Environment Minister Hannah Blythyn joined in the criticism, saying she was "disappointed and saddened" by the claims against Ms Harris.
In a tweet shared by three other Welsh Labour politicians, she said: "It's never banter - it's homophobic language."
Ms Harris today issued an apology for her "clumsy language" about "banter", but said she did not remember making the comments alleged by her former staffer.
She said: "I honestly do not remember making such a comment and hearing it alleged in court struck me to the core.
"In looking to answer - honestly - I said that in the context of our time working together that 'if I did it would have been banter'.
"I was trying to express that I would not want anyone to feel as if I were targeting them because of their sexuality, something I would never do.
"But I failed, with clumsy language that only served to make it appear as if I was trying to minimise the issue.
"It is a word that many LGBT people have heard used to justify homophobic abuse for too long. And I apologise - unreservedly and unequivocally - for my use of it.
"I try to be a good ally and use my platform to highlight the experiences of LGBT people.
"If I have fallen short, in my understanding or in my words, I can only hope that my actions to support the LGBT community in recent years as an MP and in the future will help heal any hurt."
Labour sources said the party had not received any new compaints about Ms Harris. They said a previous complaint against her had been "fully investigated" and not upheld.
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