A bid by left-wing Labour officials to readmit Jeremy Corbyn as an MP has been rejected by the party’s ruling body.
A motion to restore the whip to Corbyn, who currently sits an independent, was defeated by 23 votes to 14 at a meeting of the party’s ruling National Executive Committee.
Corbyn said he was “very disappointed” by the result.
The motion, proposed by Fire Brigades Union chief Ian Murray, was considered at the “emotional” meeting, with one Corbyn supporter invoking the words of Martin Luther King when making their case.
Yasmin Dar said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer removed the party whip from Corbyn — meaning he cannot sit and vote with the party he once led — following his reaction to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report into anti-Semitism in the party.
The EHRC found the party committed unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination while Corbyn was leader — but the former party leader said allegations about anti-Jewish racism on his watch had been “dramatically overstated” by his political opponents.
In a Facebook post after the report was published, Corbyn said he did not accept all of the EHRC’s conclusions.
“Anyone claiming there is no anti-Semitism in the Labour Party is wrong. Of course there is, as there is throughout society, and sometimes it is voiced by people who think of themselves as on the left,” he said.
“Jewish members of our party and the wider community were right to expect us to deal with it, and I regret that it took longer to deliver that change than it should.
“One anti-Semite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media.”
The wording of the NEC motion, seen by HuffPost UK, said that continuing to withhold the whip from Corbyn was a “deeply divisive act by the leadership of the party and the chief whip.”
It claimed that Corbyn — who has been the MP for Islington North for nearly 40 years — had been “disbarred” from party processes to reselect sitting MPs ahead of the next election, “increasing the tension and anger amongst party members and moving us further from the unity that is required to take on this government”.
It continued: “Disbarring the sitting member of parliament from the process is extremely disrespectful to the people of Islington North who have overwhelmingly elected Jeremy Corbyn as their Labour MP for nearly four decades.
“Disbarring Jeremy Corbyn at the next general election brings with it the added danger of local electorate punishing the Labour Party, should they not have the candidate they wish in place, creating a huge media storm in the process.”
Supporters of Starmer hailed the 23-14 NEC vote, with one source telling HuffPost UK: “In NEC terms, that’s a landslide.”
But the leader’s opponents branded it “purely factional and not in the best interests of the party”.
One Labour source said it was “nauseating to see Jeremy Corbyn presented as a victim”, adding: “The only victims in this whole story are Jewish members who suffered anti-Semitism and were afraid of what a Labour government might mean for them.”
They told HuffPost UK: “This was a self inflicted defeat for Jeremy Corbyn supporters. They didn’t need to push a vote on this, but they did so knowing that Starmer has a solid majority on the NEC.
“The chief whip [Alan Campbell] made it very clear to the NEC why Corbyn is outside of the PLP: he needs to apologise for his comments on the day of the EHRC report, remove or edit his post about it and co-operate with the party in implementing the EHRC definition of anti-Semitism.
“He is choosing not to do any of these things and the moment and that is why he does not have the whip.”
One left wing source hit out at the entire process. They claimed that a bid to request a meeting with key stakeholders after the vote was denied, making it “totally unaccountable”.
They also said the disquiet over the Facebook post was a “red herring”.
“This has become a factional war led by people who can’t bear that Jeremy was ever leader and want him politically dead.”
The NEC vote has reopened questions about Corbyn’s future and whether he can make any comeback in the Labour Party.
There has been speculation that he may choose to stand as an independent at the next election or even form a breakaway party of disaffected Labour MPs and members.
However, one pro-Corbyn source said there there is “hardly anyone who thinks that’s a good idea”.
Responding to the NEC result, Corbyn said: “I am very disappointed at the majority decision of today’s National Executive meeting.
“They had an opportunity to help restore unity in the Labour Party but unfortunately did not take it.
“I am very grateful for the support of 14 members of the NEC and of many, many people in my constituency of Islington North.
“The real issues facing this country are the horrific levels of social injustice, the attacks on our public services by the Government, and the falling living standards of many people. That should be the focus of the Labour Party.
“I will continue to campaign for social justice in Britain, and peace and human rights around the world.”