Rory Stewart: I was insensitive. I didn’t mean to minimise the horrifying Jew-hate in Corbyn’s Labour
In an exclusive article for Jewish News, the former Tory MP, who condemned the decision to bar Corbyn as a Labour candidate, offers an apology to the community but insists no party leader should have such power.
There is horrifying antisemitism in British society, including a disturbing amount in British political parties. That was particularly true in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. As leader, he should have taken responsibility for the party’s failures in this regard.
I, of course, profoundly disagree with Corbyn’s political philosophy. He would have made a terrible prime minister.
People were right to be angry about Corbyn’s equivocations over the findings of the EHRC report into antisemitism in his party. Labour should not tolerate antisemitism. Nor should any party.
My point was not to exonerate Corbyn but to oppose the principle of leaders barring fellow members from standing as candidates as happened here. In a first past the post system like the US or the UK this operates – as I discovered personally – as a de facto expulsion from Parliament.
But there is a constitutional principle here. British leaders before Johnson did not behave in this way. Traditionally the whip was restored before an election. American presidents or Senate leaders are not able to do this. Trump or Biden could not do this.
A representative democracy depends on members of Parliament being able to operate independently of their leaders. This is particularly important in a first-past-the-post system where you need the parties to be broad coalitions with different wings.
I may be over influenced by personal experience. Boris Johnson did the same to me and 20 colleagues.
It is even more important when there are increasing pressures or polarisation and division in society.
Members of Parliament should be subject to the law and parliamentary customs, committees and regulations, and above all should be subject to voters through mechanisms of recall and elections. But I do not believe that they should be able to be barred in this way by their party leaders.
None of this is to excuse the horrifying antisemitism that existed and was not addressed in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. I heard about it directly from many friends who I trust. Corbyn has a great deal to answer for.
I also feel very uncomfortable trying to maintain a constitutional point over an issue which was so deeply hurtful and offensive and disturbing to so many. And I realise Corbyn is not the constitutional hill I would have wanted to choose to die on.
Seeing the passionate responses to my original comments, I wanted to express many many apologies for stepping into this so insensitively.
I don’t believe Starmer was right to expel Corbyn from Parliament, but Starmer has done the right thing in demonstrating that antisemitism will not be tolerated in his party.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
