Jeremy Corbyn is “just one person” and “won’t be leader forever”, Baroness Chakrabarti has said as Labour was plunged into a fresh anti-Semitism row.
The comments from the key Corbyn ally, pleading with Jewish Labour members not to “personalise” the issue, came as a Sunday Times investigation revealed what it claimed were serious failings within the party’s complaints system.
The paper alleged some party members reported for posting online comments such as “Heil Hitler” and “Jews are the problem” a year ago have not yet been kicked out.
Labour had failed to take disciplinary action in hundreds of cases, due to delays, inaction and interference from the leader’s office, it was reported.
Shadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti, who led a review into anti-Semitism allegations in the party, was pressed about the probe during an interview with Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday morning.
She attempted to defend general secretary Jennie Formby and pleaded with the Jewish Labour Movement “not to personalise” the anti-Semitism issue.
The Jewish Labour Movement will meet on Sunday to vote on its own confidence motion on Corbyn’s leadership.
“My plea to the Jewish Labour Movement is to stay in the Labour movement and to tackle racism together, not to personalise it and make it about Jeremy Corbyn, because he is one person and he won’t be leader forever,” she said.
She also told Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “Jennie Formby is a very strong general secretary who is committed to making this a priority.
“So there is no interference from Jeremy Corbyn or his staff in the disciplinary process.”
A string of Labour MPs also took to Twitter to share anger and frustration at the leadership.
Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth spoke out.
Stephen Doughty said he was “simply sickened” by the report, adding: “How anyone can think there is not an anti-Semitism problem that needs robust and decisive action is beyond me.”
Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas said: “This is just grim. A tougher response is needed otherwise we risk sending a signal that some antisemitism is ok when it simply isn’t.”
Ilford North MP Wes Streeting added:” The Sunday Times story contains a range of cases involving conduct that, under any reasonable judgement, would be consider anti-Semitic. How many of those cases resulted in expulsion under the ‘zero tolerance’ policy promised by our Leader?”
Influential backbencher Yvette Cooper added: “If people responsible for vile anti-Semitism and abuse are still members of our party despite all the promised action, then our party is badly failing to stand up for our own most basic values.”
The report follows a Labour split which saw eight of its MPs desert the party over its handling of anti-Semitism to form The Independent Group alongside others.
Luciana Berger, Liverpool Wavertree MP and previous parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement said at the time she felt unable to stay in a party she believed to be “institutionally anti-Semitic”.
Responding to the Sunday Times report, Labour said lines from internal emails had been “selectively leaked” to “misrepresent their overall contents”, adding that it was “committed” to rooting out anti-Semitism within the party.
The hard drive of emails and a confidential database last updated on March 8 also showed that a trade union official was readmitted after being accused of sharing material saying “Jewish Israelis” were behind 9/11, according to the report.
In another case, a Labour official ruled a council candidate accused of describing Jewish MPs as “Zionist infiltrators” met the threshold for suspension, but then ruled he should not be suspended as he “is a candidate”, the paper said.
It reported that 454 of 863 complaints were unresolved, including 249 where the party had not started an investigation, and that of 409 cases where a decision was reached, 191 members faced no further action, 145 received a formal warning and fewer than 30 were expelled.
Labour said the figures quoted in the story were “not accurate”.
A spokeswoman said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of anti-Semitism extremely seriously and we are committed to rooting it out of our party. All complaints about anti-Semitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures. We can’t comment on individual cases.
“Lines have been selectively leaked from emails to misrepresent their overall contents.
“One of the emails shows the General Secretary’s Office ending the practice started by former staffers of asking the Leader’s Office for their help with clearing the backlog of cases. This practice lasted for a few weeks while there was no general secretary, and was ended by Jennie Formby.”
Other emails are reported to show Thomas Gardiner, head of Labour’s governance and legal unit, frustrating efforts by a member of his staff to fast-track an investigation.
A Labour Party source said: “These emails show Thomas Gardiner arguing for an anti-Semitism complaint to be recorded as anti-Semitism, in line with the Macpherson principle, and to ensure the case is dealt with through the fast-tracked anti-Semitism procedures.
“In another email Thomas makes clear it’s right and appropriate that Jennie Formby had ended the practice of LOTO (leader of the opposition’s office) being asked for help with cases, and it is untrue and misleading to say LOTO are involved as there is a firewall between the complaints process and the Leader’s Office. He was outlining and supporting this process.”
Last month, Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge accused members of Corbyn’s inner circle of interfering in the outcome of anti-Semitism cases to reduce the sanction imposed.
Labour insisted that it was “categorically untrue” to suggest that staff in the leader’s office overturned recommendations in cases.