Labour denies plan to throw out 'vexatious' allegations of anti-Semitism
2 min read
Labour has denied claims the party plans to throw out any allegations of anti-Semitism deemed "vexatious" and designed to smear Jeremy Corbyn.
Senior party sources told PoliticsHome that a report on The Skwawkbox - a website with close links to Mr Corbyn's office - suggesting the move would be part of an updated Labour code of conduct was "completely wrong".
"To accuse someone of anti-Semitism is one of the most serious things anyone can do – and no one should be allowed to do it as part of a factional agenda," said the report. "Labour’s code will put a stop to this abuse."
A row broke out when the claims first surfaced on Sunday, with one former senior party official branding the move unnecessary.
John Stolliday, who stood down as head of Labour's compliance unit earlier this year, tweeted: "The Labour Party rulebook ALREADY has powers to deal with vexatious complaints. An additional power specifically for complaints about Antisemitism would create make the ‘offence’ of complaining about Antisemitism more serious than any other offence. Why?"
Labour MPs also reacted angrily to the report.
But a Labour source said: "This is completely untrue."
The latest Labour anti-Semitism row was sparked by the party's ruling national executive committee's refusal to fully adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism.
However, the NEC is expected to overturn that decision in a vote next week.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
