Outrage as Labour looks to punish Margaret Hodge for ‘racist’ rant at Jeremy Corbyn
MPs vent their anger after the Labour leadership promises to 'take action' against the ex-Minister who called her party's leader an 'anti-Semite'
LABOUR sparked outrage last night for vowing to punish Dame Margaret Hodge for labelling Jeremy Corbyn an “anti-Semite”.
The Labour leader’s spokesman said “action will be taken” and insisted the widely respected ex-Minister and granddaughter of a Holocaust victim had brought the party into “disrepute”.
Margaret Hodge let rip at Mr Corbyn on Tuesday night after Labour’s ruling NEC approved a new anti-Semitism code which would even see members escape punishment for comparing Israeli policies to the Nazis.
Last night she vowed to “stand by her words” and fight on.
And in a direct reference to the Labour attack line on Tory immigration policies, Ms Hodge said Labour had created a “hostile environment” for Jews such as herself.
She said: “I confronted Jeremy Corbyn in Parliament, and told him to his face what I and many others are feeling.
“As our leader, he is now perceived by many as an anti-Semite.
“My grandmother and my uncle were murdered by Hitler and many cousins and other relatives were slaughtered in the gas chambers.
“We are the only surviving line left and that was because my parents were in Egypt when the war broke out.”
She added: “I chose to confront Jeremy directly and personally to express my anger and outrage. I stand by my action as well as my words.”
Labour’s new code was condemned by MPs and the Jewish community for diluting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of Jew hate.
Labour insists its own version “expands” on the code and is tailored for the needs of a political party.
But Ms Hodge stormed: “The party could have adopted the international definition in full. Instead it chose to offend Jews.
“It chose to make the Labour Party a hostile environment for Jews.
“It chose to entrench anti-Semitism.”
Labour backbencher Wes Streeting condemned party bosses for looking to punish Dame Hodge.
He said: “If only senior Labour sources could respond so swiftly to complaints about anti-Semitism within our ranks.
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“The stench of hypocrisy is overwhelming.”
Ian Austin added: “Imagine if Jeremy and his team were as quick to take action against the people responsible for racism as they are with the people complaining against it.”
Tory backbencher Andrew Percy added: “It is incredible that someone who lost family in the Holocaust is now being pursued and bullied by Labour because she dared to challenge a Labour leader who has failed to sign up to pretty much what everybody agrees is the clear definition of anti-Semitism.
“It is disgusting.”
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