Extract from Andrew Marr's interview with today
AM: The other thing that has absolutely ravaged the for months and months and
months now is of course the endless anti-Semitism row. is talking about it again
today and saying more must be done. The must properly apologise to the
Jewish people in this country. Do you agree with him?
JM: Well, Jeremy did. Jeremy did make an apology some months – ages
ago, I think last year. So he made that apology.
AM: Didn’t seem to land well.
JM: If Gordon thinks it hasn’t landed, let’s do it again and let’s
make sure we repeat it empathetically as well. I listened to Rabbi
Janet Posner, and she talked on the Today programme, the thought
for today, about how you go about securing an honest appraisal of
what you’ve done, admitting it and then seeking to how you repair
the damage. That’s what we’re going through now. If it needs doing
again, let’s do it.
AM: You kind of need to do something dramatic. I’m thinking of
Willy Brandt going and kneeling down in the Warsaw Ghetto. There
needs to be a kind of Willy Brandt moment doesn’t there?
JM: Well, I’ve gone to Auschwitz, as Jeremy has and others as
well. If there needs to be a symbol, fine. But it’s not just
about symbols, it’s about practical action as well. And again, as
I said, we have apologised. If that needs more, we should do. If
there’s more practical actions that come out of HDR review, let’s
get those implemented properly as well.
Speaking to The Westminster Hour the Chair of the
Parliamentary , MP, has criticised the party for
failing to address anti-Semitism, and said people who are
anti-Semitic should be kicked out and not just suspended
He acknowledged there had been some “very, very lively” PLP
meetings recently – particularly over the issues of
anti-Semitism. He said that procedures had improved under General
Secretary Jennie Formby. But he went on:
“We’ve failed to address anti-Semitism. The bottom line is, are
we kicking people out of the party who are anti-Semitic? In some
cases yes we are, but in some cases no. If you’re a racist, you
shouldn’t be in the .”
“In quite a lot of cases you get a suspension but then the case
just drags on and on, and it’s those cases where we need to act
much more quickly.”
He said the decision by the Equalities and Human Rights
Commission to launch an investigation was “pretty embarrassing”:
“They’re going to get to the bottom of it. Unfortunately should
have done that first.”
