John McDonnell writes to Keir Starmer and David Evans
JVL Introduction
We repost here John McDonnell’s letter to Keir Starmer and David Evans, accusing the Labour party of treating JVL “brutally”.
Building on the Forde Report, McDonell stresses how damaging the culture of the Party has become and the need for this problem to be addressed at the highest level.
He uses JVL as an example, arguing how our treatment has been “disregarding, disrespectful, at times uncaring, even brutal, and, some have argued, has amounted to discrimination”.
And he says it “appears increasingly clear that this has happened because JVL – while never denying the reality of antisemitism in the Labour party – has challenged the unacceptable weaponising of it, confirmed by the Forde Report…”
This article was originally published by Labour Hub on Wed 27 Jul 2022. Read the original here.
A letter to Keir Starmer and David Evans
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Yes it is a very good letter. But John McDonnell needs to sample some very large portions of humble pie because when he was in a position of power it was he who lent credibility to the false antisemitism witchhunt by repeating the allegations that antisemitism was a massive problem in the Labour Party.
‘Out, out, out’ he cried about Labour ‘antisemites’ without ever once asking whether there were any anti-semites bar a handful of misfits that you would find in any party. He repeatedly told us to defer to the Board of Deputies who he held were the representative body of Jewish people.
If John is to now have any credibility he and the Socialist Campaign Group, Jeremy Corbyn included, must ask themselves why they didn’t fight back at the time at this poisonous narrative.
I recommend ’10 Years Hard Labour’ by Chris Williamson which gives a detailed account of the cowardice of the SCG. John and others abandoned Chris, the only Labour MP who was willing to stand up this false and malicious campaign.
The failure of John and the SCG to offer Chris any solidarity when he was under attack by Tom Watson et al was disgraceful.
I hope that there will be a follow up article detailing the Party’s response and the steps they are taking to deal with John’s points. Hope rather than expect, sadly. I doubt he will get a reply of any substance.
If you believe the EHRC was fully independent & completely objective, then you deny the self evident truth that is right in front of your eyes that it was a carefully controlled exercise in manipulating public opinion. Composed of a carefully selcted group of barristers who had already expressed personal opinions & represented other interested parties, evidence remained selective & anonymous with the majority coming from one source.
Diversity may be an ideological goal of the Labour Party, but diversity of opinion certainly isn’t & any free & open debate denied.
Didn’t McDonnell say that it was antisemitic to oppose a Jewish State? thereby attempting to appease Zionists and throw Jeremy’s supporters under a bus!
It’s never to late for atonement
At one moment in the near future a challenge needs to be launched by those opposed to the destruction of the Labour party
J McDonnell owes us
One of the key recommendations of the EHRC report was for Labour to establish an independent complaints and disciplinary system.
Of course, this was strenuously opposed by Peter Mandelson.
Why? Well, presumably an independent disciplinary system is far harder to use for factional purposes.
This I think is a much needed letter from John McDonnell, but will any forthcoming reply be made public, I wonder. It’s outrageous to think Keir Starmer hasn’t given a full public address to the findings of the Forde Report – akin to his lengthy press conference after the EHRC published its ‘Investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party’ in 2020.
It seems to me such a shameful omission enacts a hierarchy of racism right here and now. Likewise in his only utterance (I believe) on the report so far on BBC Radio Merseyside, Starmer referenced only antisemitism, said not a word about Islamophobia or anti-black racism though this was evidenced aplenty in Forde’s findings. Worse still, by calling for the party to be more outward than inward in focus, he made all such reported instances of Islamophobia, anti-black racism and sexism seem merely an in-house matter for the party. Apparently for Labour voters such evident aggression, abuse and racial discrimination within the party-machine is not of any real concern as compared to the party’s position on Nato, and being ‘pro-business.’ But which voters exactly is Starmer speaking to here – and for?
Starmer doesn’t seem likely to be the one who’ll lead the party out of such a hierarchy of racism whose consequence is not only an ‘absurd’ hierarchy of equality within Labour, but has led to a disproportionate number of Jewish members being themselves accused of antisemitism (Elspeth Webb: Keir Starmer is failing to defend our human rights).
For Labour, historically a progressive party of democracy and socialist values, the fight for equality of all must surely enlighten the whole of its policy-making, positions and endeavors? Not be a side issue to be sat on, ignored and treated as if innately of lesser consideration to its voters than Labour being ‘pro-business’ and ‘unshakably’ in support of Nato.
An excellent letter Mr.McDonnell.I wonder if Kier and David see fit to reply?!