Second Jewish Labour MP threatened with censure over anti-Semitism rules row
3 min read
A new front has emerged in the bitter row over Labour anti-Semitism rules after it was revealed a second MP was threatened with disciplinary action for alleged abusive behaviour.
Ian Austin received a letter from party bosses saying he was under investigation for “abusive conduct” after a clash with Labour chair Ian Lavery over changes to the party rulebook.
It makes him the second MP to face disciplinary action over the issue after colleague Margaret Hodge was pulled up for calling Jeremy Corbyn a “racist anti-Semite” to his face.
Labour is locked in a battle over whether an internationally-recognised definition of anti-Semitism should be adopted in full in its new code of conduct.
The National Executive Committee of the party refused to include all the examples of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance guidelines - sparking a massive backlash from the Jewish community.
Labour says its new code "expands on and contextualises" the IHRA text, and insists it has taken issue only with "one half of one of the IHRA's 11 examples" concerning criticism of Israel.
Mr Austin - a longstanding critic of Mr Corbyn whose parents were Czech Jewish refugees who lost relatives in the Holocaust - was sent a warning note on 18 July, a day after Ms Hodge received hers.
He had clashed with Mr Lavery over the rulebook changes in a heated Commons exchange just before the summer recess that was witnessed by other MPs, according to reports.
The letter said: “You should be aware that any future behaviour of a similar nature to the allegation above could result in further disciplinary action, including the possibility of administrative suspension while the matter is investigated.”
Mr Austin told the Observer: “Wouldn’t it be great if they dealt with the people responsible for racism as quickly as they dealt with the people who are understandably upset about it?
“I am angry about anti-Semitism and I am angry that the Labour party can’t deal with it adequately.”
But a Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour party takes all complaints extremely seriously. These are fully investigated in line with party rules and procedures.”
Meanwhile, the party is investigating more than 250 complaints of anti-Semitic abuse by supporters of Mr Corbyn in the wake of the clash with Ms Hodge, according to the Sunday Times.
IHRA ROW
Labour has accepted the central IHRA definition of anti-Semitism but has failed to mimic four of its examples of abuse - including saying Jews are more loyal to Israel than their home country.
The party has previously said: "We understand the strong concerns raised in the Jewish community and are seeking to engage with communal organisations to build trust and confidence in our party. We know there is a huge amount of work to do."
Labour has also said its code of code of conduct "expands on and contextualises" the IHRA definition "to produce robust, legally sound guidelines that a political party can apply to disciplinary cases".
The party has also argued that parts of the IHRA definition could be "used to deny Palestinians, including Palestinian citizens of Israel and their supporters, their rights and freedoms to describe the discrimination and injustices they face in the language they deem appropriate".
Labour MPs will hold a ballot in September on incorporating the full IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, along with its accompanying examples, into its standing orders. It is expected to pass comfortably.
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