Jeremy Corbyn “did all he could” to defend Chris Williamson and stop the MP from being suspended from Labour, it has been claimed.
The Derby North MP was suspended after a video emerged in which he said that Labour had been “too apologetic” over anti-Semitism.
But MP Siobhain McDonagh claimed that Corbyn tried to “personally defend” Williamson and asked chief whip Nick Brown not to suspend him.
Labour has denied Corbyn spoke to Brown.
But two Labour MPs who wished to remain anonymous told HuffPost UK they understood that Corbyn had intervened in the row to try to block the suspension.
A separate party source also stressed that Corbyn had final sign off on suspension decisions as he has to instruct the whips to act.
McDonagh told HuffPost UK: “I welcome Chris Williamson’s suspension pending investigation for acts of anti-Jewish racism.
“No amount of mealy-mouthed apologies could justify his actions at the Sheffield Momentum event last week. How could we apologise too much for acts of anti-Jewish racism in our party?
“Jeremy did all he could to personally defend him but he could not maintain his support in the face of universal demands for his suspension.”
Meanwhile, a former Labour Party member of staff claimed Corbyn saw no issue with an infamous 2017 interview in which former London mayor Ken Livingstone made claims about Hitler and Zionism.
Bernie Keavy, a former press officer, said Corbyn’s immediate response to the interview and subsequent criticism from senior Labour politicians such as Sadiq Khan was to ask “what’s the issue?”.
Kevin Slocombe, a former adviser to Corbyn, claimed the account was false, saying Keavy was not present when the leader was briefed on the Labour interview. A Labour spokesperson added: “This account is false.”
Keavy also claimed that one of the Labour leader’s staffers urged Corbyn to be careful not to upset pro-Palestine campaigners.
The leader’s team eventually concluded Livingstone had to be suspended but Corbyn was “adamant” John Mann, chair of the all-party parliamentary group against anti-Semitism, also had to be suspended after calling the ex-mayor a “Nazi apologist” in an angry rant in Westminster’s Millbank studios.
Livingstone ultimately quit Labour in May last year following a two-year suspension over allegations of anti-semitism.
Williamson meanwhile was given a full suspension on Wednesday following intense pressure from senior party figures including deputy leader Tom Watson.
The switch in position from investigating Williamson’s “pattern of behaviour” to a full suspension of the Labour whip pending investigation was made once party staff had begun reviewing Williamson’s case, Corbyn allies said.
Labour had also faced calls to kick Williamson out of Labour from anti-racist campaign group Hope Not Hate.
It came after it emerged that Williamson had booked a room in parliament in order for a film about Jackie Walker called ‘Witch Hunt’ to be screened.
Walker has been suspended from Labour after after saying “many Jews were chief financiers of the slave trade” and for comments at the party’s 2016 conference, revealed by HuffPost in 2016. She is still awaiting a hearing.
A spokesman for Hope Not Hate said: “Labour’s decision to suspend Chris Williamson is a good, if delayed, move. Labour should conduct its investigation promptly and be transparent about the results.”
Williamson has vowed to clear his name, telling the BBC: “I am going to clear my name within the party procedures. I think I’ve got a very strong case. There is no evidence against me in reality.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Chris Williamson is suspended from the Party, and therefore the whip, pending investigation.”