CAA petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an “antisemite” who is “unfit to hold any public office” passes 50,000 signatures
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an “antisemite” who is “unfit to hold any public office” has passed 50,000 signatures.
The petition notes that Mr Corbyn has “lied, distracted, tried to twist the definition of antisemitism to exclude his past conduct, and issued false apologies when pressure mounted” and that “his actions have been consistent with those of an ideological antisemite”. It concludes: “For as long as the Labour Party is in Jeremy Corbyn’s grip, it cannot be a force for good. His past demonstrates that he should never have been elected to the leadership of the Labour Party and he is unfit to hold any public office. Antisemites must not hold positions of power.”
The petition has already made headlines in newspapers such as The Times and The Sun and the petition continues to spread virally through Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.
Those signing have done so despite an attempt by Change.org to disparage them by posting a notice at the top of the petition warning that its facts are contested. You may wish to tell Change.org what you think about their warning notice by e-mailing [email protected].
Pressure is mounting on the Labour Party as a poll showed that 55% of the British public agrees with the petition’s sentiment that Mr Corbyn is unfit for office over antisemitism.
Meanwhile, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has begun pre-enforcement proceedings against the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant. The pre-enforcement proceedings are a precursor to opening a full statutory investigation.
Since the Commission began its pre-enforcement proceedings against Labour, further appalling evidence has come to light, including revelations that Jeremy Corbyn’s own staffers and senior allies were interceding on behalf of antisemites. Senior figures in the Labour Party have said they would welcome the Commission pursuing our complaint, including two Shadow Cabinet members — Emily Thornberry and Tom Watson — as well as Labour peers and MPs including Dame Louise Ellman, Lord Falconer, Dame Margaret Hodge, Cath McKinnell, Ruth Smeeth, Alex Sobel and Wes Streeting.
In light of the evidence that Campaign Against Antisemitism has presented, and these calls for help from within Labour, we expect the Commission to announce a statutory investigation so that it can avail itself of its full legal powers to compel the Labour Party to act against the antisemites in its ranks.
In recent months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with numerous councillors and members.
