Labour leadership rivals clash over antisemitism
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Labour leadership candidate Jess Phillips appeared to criticise other candidates on their handling of antisemitism allegations within the party.
As the five hopefuls went head to head in public for the first time, Phillips told the crowd in Liverpool that the party needed a leader who spoke out “when others were keeping quiet”.
When questioned on antisemitism, Phillips said, she “didn’t remember some people here being there”.
She was joined by Emily Thornberry, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Sir Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy to discuss key policies ahead of the leadership vote.
Phillips added that the Labour party owed it to their Jewish members and supporters to fight all forms of racism, admitting that Labour had “lost the moral high ground”.
Thornberry responded to the notion she had not been visible during the row by saying she had always stood against antisemitism.
The shadow foreign secretary said it was a nationwide issue as well as within the party, and said “you must be critical of Netanyahu and what the Israeli government is doing – but that is not the fault of the Jews”.
Long-Bailey admitted that the party had lost trust from the public because it was not responding quickly enough when issues were raised.
Nandy said she was “ashamed” of what had happened and was highly critical of the party’s failure to adopt an internationally recognised definition of antisemitism despite being begged by Jewish MPs to do so.
Starmer said there could be room to criticise Israeli policy without being antisemitic, but added:”If you are antisemitic, you shouldn’t be in Labour”.
The candidates also discussed Brexit, taking on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the issues with the current manifesto.
Thornberry said, “let’s not kid ourselves – we are going to leave the EU”, but went on to question whether Johnson would secure a trade deal by the end of the year.
She also said she has experience going up against him after shadowing him when he was in the foreign office.
Starmer said Labour should not “trash the last four years” when questioned on the current policies, but did admit the dense manifesto meant there was a “tipping point and people didn’t believe it”.
Long-Bailey, who was behind many of the party’s policies, said she was proud of them but said they lacked a “shining conviction”.
Meanwhile, Phillips admitted she had been “literally laughed at on the school run on broadband” when the five were asked about their least favourite policies.
The new leader will be announced on 4 April.