Keir Starmer has faced down a rebellion from left-wing MPs over his decision to sack Rebecca Long-Bailey from the frontbench for promoting an article containing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
Jeremy Corbyn was understood to be among around 30 MPs who demanded the former shadow education secretary be reinstated in a virtual meeting with the Labour leader.
MPs who joined the call said there was “significant disagreement” over her removal from the shadow cabinet, with Sir Keir dismissing calls for he return to the front bench.
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The dramatic sacking of Ms Long-Bailey, one of the few remaining allies of Mr Corbyn on the frontbench, on Thursday risked exploding the fragile truce between different wings of the party.
Members of the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group challenged the Labour leader about Ms Long-Bailey, while some sought reassurances that they could speak out over the actions of the Israeli government without being reprimanded.
Despite unhappiness amonst Mr Corbyn’s former supporters, speculation of resignations appeared to be wide of the mark and Ms Long-Bailey insisted she would continue to work for a Labour government.
In a statement, the group said: “On the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey from the shadow cabinet, it was clear that significant disagreement remains on this point. The Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs made it clear that Rebecca Long-Bailey should not have been sacked and should be reinstated.
“The imminent annexation of the West Bank by Israel’s government was discussed and the need for the Labour Party, MPs, Party members and supporters to speak out against Israel’s illegal annexation and ongoing human right abuses by the government of Israel was raised.”
The meeting was conducted in a “mutually respectful manner”, the statement said.
One MP present told The Independent that concerned remained about Ms Long-Bailey and little had been resolved in the meeting.
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1/50 25 June 2020A horse is washed down at Haydock Racecourse
PA
2/50 24 June 2020People enjoy the hot weather on Margate beach
Reuters
3/50 23 June 2020Tony Bennett the owner of The Devereux pub in Temple, London. Pub and hospitality bosses have cheered the Government’s proposals to allow customers through their doors again on July 4 as “a welcome relief”. PA Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 23, 2020. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that pubs, restaurants and cinemas will be able to reopen from July 4, with “one metre-plus” distancing measures in place
PA
4/50 22 June 2020Police forensics officers carry out a search near Forbury Gardens, in Reading town centre, the scene of a multiple stabbing attack which took place at around 7pm on Saturday, leaving three people dead and another three seriously injured
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8/50 18 June 2020French President Emmanuel Macron gestures about social distancing alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he arrives at Downing Street for a meeting. Macron also visited London to commemorate the 80th anniversary of former French president Charles de Gaulle’s appeal to French people to resist the Nazi occupation during World War II
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21/50 5 June 2020Protesters kneel in Trafalgar Square during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in London, England. The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
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UK
28/50 29 May 2020British Tennis player Maia Lumsden in action at Bridge of Allan Tennis Club. People can meet family and friends outdoors and play sports such as golf and tennis again as the country is moving into phase one of the Scottish Government’s plan for gradually lifting lockdown
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29/50 28 May 2020A police frogman, searches for a weapon in Abington Lake in in Northampton
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10 Downing Street/Reuters
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32/50 25 May 2020Dominic Cummings, senior aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, makes a statement inside 10 Downing Street, London, over allegations he breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions
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35/50 22 May 2020Waves break onto a wall at Brighton beach
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36/50 21 May 2020Cafe owner Francini Osorio serves customers in a trial phase during the coronavirus lockdown. Osorio has installed an air purifier and 35 clear shower curtains, which will divide customers and tables, in the Francini Cafe De Colombia, Worcester, ready for the re-opening of his business as lockdown restrictions are eased
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40/50 17 May 2020People on Brighton beach after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown
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42/50 15 May 2020Estonian freelance ballet dancer and choreographer, Eve Mutso performs her daily fitness routine near her home in Glasgow, Scotland
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47/50 10 May 2020A woman passes street art and a poster in East London
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48/50 9 May 2020Police patrol the beach in Brighton
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49/50 8 May 2020The British Royal Air Force Red Arrows conduct a fly past over the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) in Britain
MOD/Reuters
50/50 7 May 2020Team GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre during a training session at her home in Portsmouth
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1/50 25 June 2020A horse is washed down at Haydock Racecourse
PA
2/50 24 June 2020People enjoy the hot weather on Margate beach
Reuters
3/50 23 June 2020Tony Bennett the owner of The Devereux pub in Temple, London. Pub and hospitality bosses have cheered the Government’s proposals to allow customers through their doors again on July 4 as “a welcome relief”. PA Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 23, 2020. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that pubs, restaurants and cinemas will be able to reopen from July 4, with “one metre-plus” distancing measures in place
PA
4/50 22 June 2020Police forensics officers carry out a search near Forbury Gardens, in Reading town centre, the scene of a multiple stabbing attack which took place at around 7pm on Saturday, leaving three people dead and another three seriously injured
PA
5/50 21 June 2020Soccer Football – Premier League – Everton v Liverpool – Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain – June 21, 2020 Children play football outside the stadium before the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Action Images via Reuters
6/50 20 June 2020Arsenal’s midfielder Nicolas Pepe kneels before the Premier League match against Brighton and Hove Albion at the American Express Community Stadium in southern England
AFP via Getty
7/50 19 June 2020Bianca Walkden during a training session at the National Taekwondo Centre in Manchester
PA
8/50 18 June 2020French President Emmanuel Macron gestures about social distancing alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he arrives at Downing Street for a meeting. Macron also visited London to commemorate the 80th anniversary of former French president Charles de Gaulle’s appeal to French people to resist the Nazi occupation during World War II
AFP/Getty
9/50 17 June 2020Players kneel, as well as, having ‘Black Lives Matter’ in place of names on their shirts prior to the start of the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Sheffield United at Villa Park in Birmingham. The league resumed after its three-month suspension because of coronavirus
AP
10/50 16 June 2020Motakhayyel ridden by Jim Crowley, right, wins the Buckingham Palace Handicap during day one of Royal Ascot. This year, the flat racing’s biggest meeting, is behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak
PA
11/50 15 June 2020Queues form at Primark at the Rushden Lakes shopping complex after the government relaxed coronavirus lockdown laws significantly, allowing zoos, safari parks and non-essential shops to open to visitors
Getty
12/50 14 June 2020A man kneels at a commemoration to mark the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire in London. The fire claimed 72 lives on 14 June 2017
PA
13/50 13 June 2020Protesters confront police in Whitehall near Parliament Square, during a protest by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance
PA
14/50 12 June 2020A Black Lives Matter supporter sings to crowds who marched with her in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square in London. The death of an African American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
Getty
15/50 11 June 2020Scouts show their support at the Lord Baden-Powell statue in Poole. The statue of Robert Baden-Powell on Poole Quay is to be placed in “safe storage” following concerns about his racial views
Getty
16/50 10 June 2020Social distancing markers around the penguin enclosure at London Zoo. Staff have been preparing and are now ready for reopening next week with new signage, one-way trails for visitors to follow, and extra handwashing and sanitiser stations in place
PA
17/50 9 June 2020Protestors hold placards and shout slogans during during a protest called by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign calling for the removal of the statue of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes outside Oriel College, at the University of Oxford
AFP via Getty
18/50 8 June 2020Hermione Wilson helps to install a new artwork at Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh, created as a tribute to the NHS titled “A Thousand Thank Yous” originally devised by the late Allan Kaprow which consists of colourful painted messages on cardboard and has been directed remotely by London-based artist Peter Liversidge
PA
19/50 7 June 2020The Edward Colston statue has been pulled down by Black Lives Matter protesters in Bristol. Colston was a 17th century slave trader who has numerous landmarks named after him in Bristol
SWNS
20/50 6 June 2020Children pose for their family in front of discarded placards fixed on a wall in Piccadilly Gardens after a Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Manchester. The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
Getty
21/50 5 June 2020Protesters kneel in Trafalgar Square during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in London, England. The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
Getty
22/50 4 June 2020Protestors march from Windsor Castle in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement
Getty
23/50 3 June 2020People wearing face masks hold banners in Hyde Park during a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis
Reuters
24/50 2 June 2020Street artist Nath Murdoch touches up his anti-racism mural in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
PA
25/50 1 June 2020Customers socially distance themselves as they queue to enter Ikea in Warrington. The store opening saw large queues of people and traffic on adjacent roads as it reopened after the lockdown. The furniture and housewares chain reopened its stores across England and Northern Ireland subject to several restrictions, keeping its restaurants closed and asking customers to shop alone
Getty
26/50 31 May 2020A man wearing a protective face mask kneels in front of police officers during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd near the U.S. Embassy, London, Britai
Reuters
27/50 30 May 2020Visitors at Grassholme Reservoir in Lunedale, Co Durham are able to cross an ancient packhorse bridge as work on the dam wall means water levels have dropped signifcantly to reveal this monument of the pas
UK
28/50 29 May 2020British Tennis player Maia Lumsden in action at Bridge of Allan Tennis Club. People can meet family and friends outdoors and play sports such as golf and tennis again as the country is moving into phase one of the Scottish Government’s plan for gradually lifting lockdown
PA
29/50 28 May 2020A police frogman, searches for a weapon in Abington Lake in in Northampton
Getty
30/50 27 May 2020Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears before the Liaison Committee via Zoom from the cabinet room at 10 Downing Street, amid the coronavirus
10 Downing Street/Reuters
31/50 26 May 2020Members of the public relax on the beach at Botany Bay in Margate
Getty
32/50 25 May 2020Dominic Cummings, senior aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, makes a statement inside 10 Downing Street, London, over allegations he breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions
AP
33/50 24 May 2020A demonstrator holds a sign reading ‘Why are you above the law?’ outside the house of Dominic Cummings in London, following allegations Cummings broke coronavirus lockdown rules by travelling across the country
Reuters
34/50 23 May 2020People take a walk near Durdle Door as cows graze in Lulworth
Reuters
35/50 22 May 2020Waves break onto a wall at Brighton beach
Reuters
36/50 21 May 2020Cafe owner Francini Osorio serves customers in a trial phase during the coronavirus lockdown. Osorio has installed an air purifier and 35 clear shower curtains, which will divide customers and tables, in the Francini Cafe De Colombia, Worcester, ready for the re-opening of his business as lockdown restrictions are eased
PA
37/50 20 May 2020People at Bournemouth beach in Dorset, as people flock to parks and beaches with lockdown measures eased. The Met Office has predicted the hottest day of the year
PA
38/50 19 May 2020A dog jumps into the water as families relax at a Lido in London
AP
39/50 18 May 2020A fan celebrates outside Celtic Park after Celtic were crowned champions of the Scottish Premiership. Hearts were also relegated after a decision was made to conclude the season with immediate effect
PA
40/50 17 May 2020People on Brighton beach after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown
PA
41/50 16 May 2020Police lead away Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as protesters gather in breach of lockdown rules in Hyde Park in London after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown.
PA
42/50 15 May 2020Estonian freelance ballet dancer and choreographer, Eve Mutso performs her daily fitness routine near her home in Glasgow, Scotland
Getty
43/50 14 May 2020Senior charge nurse Jan Ferguson views artwork “Theatre of Dott’s” by Kate Ive, inspired by Professor Norman Dott and his neurosurgery theatres at the Western General from 1960-2019. It is one of a number of artworks which sit on the walls of NHS Lothians’ Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) which has been transferred into a purpose-built new home on the Little France campus in Edinburgh
PA
44/50 13 May 2020Team GB’s karate athlete Jordan Thomas trains outside his apartment in Manchester
Reuters
45/50 12 May 2020Nurses from central London hospitals protest on international nurses day about the chronic underfunding of the NHS and other issues surrounding the health service outside the gates of Downing Street, London
PA
46/50 11 May 2020Waves crash at Tynemouth pier on the North East coast
PA
47/50 10 May 2020A woman passes street art and a poster in East London
Reuters
48/50 9 May 2020Police patrol the beach in Brighton
Getty
49/50 8 May 2020The British Royal Air Force Red Arrows conduct a fly past over the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) in Britain
MOD/Reuters
50/50 7 May 2020Team GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre during a training session at her home in Portsmouth
Reuters
However the MP described the exchange as “calm and focussed”, adding: “No abuse. No name calling. No shouting. Some of the PLP [parliamentary Labour party] could learn much from this.”
Another said the meeting was not very constructive and described it was “very depressing”.
The Labour leader’s office declined to comment on the talks, saying it had been a private meeting.
The row began when Ms Long-Bailey praised an interview with Maxine Peake in The Independent , in which the actor incorrectly stated that US police responsible for the death of George Floyd had learned tactics from the Israeli security forces. Ms Peake later accepted the claim was “inaccurate”.
The Salford and Eccles MP, who lost out to Sir Keir in the leadership election, initially tweeted the piece, saying: “Maxine Peake is a diamond”.
Amid waves of outrage, she clarified that her comment “wasn’t intended to be an endorsement of all aspects of the article”, which also criticised the Tory government’s handling of coronavirus.
Ms Long Bailey said she had agreed the wording of the clarification with Sir Keir’s office but was then ordered to take both tweets down.
She said: “I could not do this in good conscience without the issuing of a press statement of clarification. I had asked to discuss these matters with Keir before agreeing what further action to take, but sadly he had already made his decision.”
Speaking shortly after Ms Long-Bailey’s removal, Sir Keir said: “The sharing of that article was wrong, because the article contained antisemitic conspiracy theories.
“I have therefore stood Rebecca Long-Bailey down from the shadow cabinet. I’ve made it my first priority to tackle antisemitism and rebuilding trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority for me.”
The dramatic move as seen as Sir Keir’s attempt to move on from the Corbyn era, with Ms Long-Bailey regarded as the favoured candidate of the left in the leadership contest.
However, Jon Lansman, founder of the activist group Momentum, said that by getting rid of his leading left-wing rival for the leader, Sir Keir had made it more difficult to reunite the party.
“In order to unite the party he’s got to build trust, across the party, trust from the left,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
“That’s one of the ingredients necessary if you are going to reunite the party and from what he’s done he’s made it much harder for himself.”
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk