Labour’s mistreatment of Diane Abbott shows who are the real racists in that party
It seems the pleas of the intelligent members of the UK community have fallen on deaf ears, and Diane Abbott remains suspended after a letter from her about racism was published by a newspaper.
What can be said about that? Here’s a highly-pertinent response:
Diane Abbott writes a clumsy and badly expressed letter about the structural/institutional hierarchy of racism in UK, where the response to it better explains what the point is than anything she wrote.
— William Large (@LargeWlarge63) April 24, 2023
Yes: certain people who are well-known for this kind of behaviour have been stirring up anti-Abbott sentiment in the media:
Shocked but not suprised that all the usual celebs are doing the tv sofa tours. What Diane said was clumsy and ill-thought out, but the foundation of what she was saying re the hierarchy of racism in the UK is arguably true, and playing out before our eyes. #IStandWithDianeAbbott
— CrémantCommunarde #BeAPeacemonger ☮️ (@0Calamity) April 25, 2023
One of the “usual celebs” was Lord John Mann, a former Labour MP who was ennobled by Boris Johnson, if I recall correctly, in order to become the Tory government’s advisor on anti-Semitism.
I am Jewish
Lord John Mann has used false allegations of Antisemitism for ulterior factional purposes
I trust @hackneyabbott on Antisemitism far more than I trust Mann https://t.co/pMfFZxx0Jt
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) April 24, 2023
Mann is not a particularly good spokesman for the anti-Abbott brigade because he is ill-suited to standing up for travellers; he was interviewed by Nottinghamshire Police after complaints were received about a brochure he issued on anti-social behaviour that singled out the travelling community.
The police’s written response to the complainant referred to the brochure as a “hate incident”.
Remember also that Mann managed to rustle up a TV crew at very short notice to ambush Ken Livingstone on a BBC stairwell, after a radio interview with Vanessa Feltz discussing anti-Semitism claims against Labour MP Naz Shah, and berated him for being “A disgusting racist” for “re-writing history”, “a Nazi apologist”, “factually wrong” and a “calculated lie” put about by “conspiracy theorists”.
But it was Mann who was “factually wrong”: nothing Livingstone said in his Feltz interview was racist; he didn’t re-write history but merely quoted it; so he wasn’t being a Nazi apologist. It was factually accurate, so could not be a calculated lie, no matter who Mann said put it about.
On the other side of the Abbott argument, Martin Forde KC – the author of the now-infamous Forde Report that Keir Starmer commissioned but then ignored because it detailed a “heirarchy of racism” in the Labour Party that put anti-Semitism above racism against people of colour, Muslims or other minority groups (and we may include the Gypsy/Roma/Traveller community) – had previously “spoken out” in ways that confirmed what Ms Abbott was trying to say in her letter:
Please explain the hierarchy of racism within @UKLabour, @Keir_Starmer – and why you've done absolutely nothing about it!
"Martin Forde KC speaks out" https://t.co/GqL0Mf9SSP— Oliver ✊🌏🔥 #ClimateAction #EcoSocialist (@tynewrc) April 25, 2023
The article quoted Mr Forde as saying: “Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, isn’t taken as seriously as antisemitism. That’s the perception that came through.”
Of course, Labour’s choice to ignore Mr Forde makes what many consider to be a very clear statement:
The Labour party and the entire mainstream media have been deliberately ignoring the Forde Report. Even the Tories have ignored it.
Martin Forde KC has been disrespected by them all.
That in itself could be considered to be racist. pic.twitter.com/QEs2076tQ7
— sandra (@mrsDugskullery) April 24, 2023
So instead of Diane Abbott, it seems Labour leader Keir Starmer may be more accurately described as racist – especially as he ignored his undertaking to the Equality and Human Rights Commission that any allegation of racism/anti-Semitism would be handled by an independent process.
The EHRC has been contacted for action…
Hello @EHRC
Just Keir Starmer admitting to interfering in the disciplinary process by claiming "I acted swiftly" to suspend her, & by pre judging an investigation here. What are you going to do about it.https://t.co/hBJp1H4zcY
— Nanna Deb💙🧡✋ (@Deborahpower5) April 24, 2023
… but as far as This Writer is aware, that organisation has not responded.
Other examples of incidents that could be described as ingrained Labour Party racism abound.
For example:
Luciana Berger, Margaret Hodge and Jess Phillips pictured here participating in something rather resembling a lynch mob targeted at a black socialist trade unionist. pic.twitter.com/zCaqbyY0Xj
— andy peacock (@AndyPeacock999) April 24, 2023
They were on their way to a “kangaroo court” hearing of the case against Marc Wadsworth, who was accused of anti-Semitism when he criticised Ruth Smeeth for associating with a representative of the Tory-supporting Daily Telegraph. We have transcripts of what he said and none of it was anti-Semitic; he didn’t even know she was Jewish at the time.
That’s how Labour treats people of colour. And how does it treat Jewish party members? Here’s Diana Neslen:
"The [Labour] Party has investigated, disciplined or expelled 55 Jewish members for anti-Semitism, 2 of whom died during the process." Jewish Grandmother Diana Neslen recounts her painful experiences at the hands of the Labour Party for campaigning on behalf of Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/NdRrxir1o5
— Ragged Trousered Philanderer (@RaggedTP) April 24, 2023
That’s how Labour treats anti-Semitism claims against people on the left wing of the party, of course.
Here’s how it treats anti-Semitism claims against people on the right wing:
Labour readmitted Neil Coyle after racially abusing a journalist and a sexual harassment claim upheld.
Barry Sheerman & Steve Reed made antisemitic remarks and were allowed to get away with boilerplate apologies.
Peter Kyle never apologised for calling Humza Yousaf "Mohammed". https://t.co/HgrCljZa7Q
— Marl Karx (@BareLeft) April 24, 2023
Put it all together and, once again, we see a clear indication that the Labour Party under Keir Starmer is itself a viciously racist organisation; it uses accusations of racism as a tool to remove people of colour and Jewish people from its membership lists.
But the tactic may backfire; too many people are realising what Labour has been doing.
What could this mean for the party, electorally?
Here's a thought, if Starmer refuses to restore the whip to Diane Abbot and she stands as an independent at the next general election like Corbyn, is that another "safe" Labour seat Starmer will lose because the people of Hackney are more likely to vote for Abbot?
— richard cann 💙♿☮️ (@richard_cann1) April 24, 2023
I wonder how many would consider it.
Independent, left-wing MPs would vote with Labour on policies that would help the general population, but would oppose the Tory-oriented policies that Keir Starmer favours.
If enough were elected, they could provide a valuable brake on the kind of politics that has brought the UK to its current sorry state.
And out of the hatred and horror of Starmer’s Labour purges, it might wrest something good.
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The sooner Starmer and his nest of self serving traitors are removed from the Parliamentary labour party the better!