JEREMY Corbyn has been kicked out of Labour’s parliamentary party by Keir Starmer, a move that is set to reignite the civil war within the Opposition’s ranks.
The decision will anger supporters of the former Labour leader, who yesterday was readmitted to the party after a disciplinary panel lifted the suspension of his membership after just 19 days.
READ MORE: Sir Keir Starmer urged not to restore Labour whip to Jeremy Corbyn
The decision not to restore the Commons whip to the 71-year-old leftwinger was made by Sir Keir and Nick Brown, the Chief Whip; it means he will not be able to rejoin the parliamentary party but sit on the backbenches as a non-aligned MP.
Supporters of Mr Corbyn had insisted the party rules meant the Islington MP should automatically be readmitted. But Sir Keir made a swift decision this morning ahead of Prime Minister’s Questions when he would be bound to face questions about it. However, in a statement this morning the Labour leader kept the door to a return for his predecessor to the PLP slightly ajar, saying he would keep his expulsion under review.
Mr Corbyn was reinstated as a Labour party member after being suspended in the wake of the damning Equality and Human Rights Commission report into anti-Semitism within Labour.
Sir Keir said in a statement: “Since I was elected Labour leader, I have made it my mission to root out anti-Semitism from the Labour Party.
“I know that I will judged on my actions, not my words. The disciplinary process does not have the confidence of the Jewish community. That became clear once again yesterday.
“It is the task of my leadership to fix what I have inherited. That is what I am resolute in doing and I have asked for an independent process to be established as soon as possible.
“I’m the Leader of the Labour Party but I’m also the Leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
“Jeremy Corbyn’s actions in response to the EHRC report undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party’s ability to tackle antisemitism.
“In those circumstances, I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn. I will keep this situation under review.”
Veteran Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, who is Jewish, said withholding the whip from Mr Corbyn was the “right decision”.
She tweeted: “Yesterday has shown once again just how broken and unjust the existing complaints system is. It has caused untold hurt and anguish across the Jewish community, undermined progress made and made me question my own place in the party.
“As Corbyn has refused to himself accept the findings of the EHRC report, refused to apologise for his actions and refused to take any responsibility, withholding the whip is the right decision.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said Sir Keir had made the “appropriate leadership decision” to withhold the whip from Mr Corbyn.
President Marie van der Zyl said: “We welcome Keir Starmer’s decision to withhold the whip from Jeremy Corbyn.
“Despite the EHRC’s finding that the party had acted unlawfully under Mr Corbyn’s watch, Jeremy Corbyn’s initial reaction to the report was dismissive and he has been shameless and remorseless for what he has put the Jewish community through.
“Meanwhile, Labour’s disciplinary process is clearly still not fit for purpose.
“Keir Starmer has now taken the appropriate leadership decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn.
“We continue to say that ‘zero tolerance’ must mean precisely that, whether for anti-Semites or their apologists.”
But Labour leftwingers, who took to Twitter, decried Sir Keir’s decision.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, who worked in Mr Corbyn’s office when he was party leader, said: “The leadership is prolonging a fight it should be de-escalating after yesterday. Just back down with grace, learn from it and move on.”
Tommy Kane, another former aide to Mr Corbyn, tweeted: “This is ludicrous & political interference writ large, in conflict with the EHRC recommendation & exposing the fallacy there was no political interference to begin with. It seems there is no desire to unify & competency is in short supply -another 2 broken promises to the list.”
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