Sir Keir Starmer slammed by leadership rival Jess Phillips over ‘inaction’ on Labour’s anti-Semitism crisis
LABOUR leadership favourite Sir Keir Starmer was targeted in a red-on-red attack over failing to deal with the party’s anti-Semitism crisis.
The front-runner was accused of a lack of fight as the party attempted to tackle the growing turmoil under Jeremy Corbyn term in charge.
Contender Jess Phillips confronted the bookies’ favourite along with Emily Thornberry and Rebecca Long-Bailey who sit in the leader’s top team.
The outsider said: “The Labour Party needs a leader who has spoken out against anti-Semitism, and other forms of harassment in fact."
“When others were keeping quiet and somebody who was in the room, struggling for an independent system - lots and lots of meetings - I have to say I don’t remember some of the people here being in that particular room or being in those particular fights.”
She also claimed the party had lost the “moral high ground” to fight racism over the row that has plagued Mr Corbyn’s four years in office.
The outburst took place at the party’s first hustings for the five candidates to determine the party’s next leader at the beginning of April.
But Thornberry hit back at the claim during the event in front of 500 members in Liverpool.
'UNDERMINES OUR SOUL'
She said: “I have always been clear about it and I always will because it’s unacceptable, it undermines us as a party and undermines our soul."
“What we should be doing is kicking out these anti-Semites in the same way Oswald Mosley was kicked out of Liverpool in 1937.”
Starmer said he had spoken out publicly as well as in shadow Cabinet meetings.
It follows ex-Labour Cabinet Minister Jack Straw who blasted four-and-a-half years “dismal years of this far-left experiment”.
He referred to “vile anti-Semitism which Corbyn didn’t want to do anything about”.
Labour is currently being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission over claims the party is institutionally anti-Semitic.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Meanwhile, backbencher Lisa Nandy, who is also standing, said the Tories weren’t interested in the ex-Labour seats in northern England and Wales they won at the election.
She said: “The Tories are talking about investing in the so-called ‘red wall’ seats."
“But, what they don’t understand is that this was a clamour for power, agency, and control, and they will never give it to people. Labour must.”
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]