Hard evidence that Corbyn aide Laura Murray interfered with Labour disciplinary processes emerges as Labour complaints process goes into meltdown
The Times has just published evidence that Jeremy Corbyn’s Parliamentary aide, Laura Murray, interfered with Labour’s disciplinary processes. The news comes shortly after she was dispatched to join Labour’s complaints unit after its head suddenly resigned.
One of Campaign Against Antisemitism’s honorary patrons, Dame Margaret Hodge, was assured by Mr Corbyn that there was no interference by him or his staff in the disciplinary process, but following revelations by a whistleblower in The Observer, Dame Margaret wrote to Mr Corbyn demanding to know whether he had lied to her or his staff had lied to him.
Now, The Times has published e-mails in which a Labour member who praised the antisemitic mural, which Mr Corbyn also defended, narrowly avoided being suspended after Ms Murray stepped in to defend her.
As though Ms Murray’s inappropriate selection to deal with antisemitism complaints needed further proof, just yesterday she accused television star and antisemitism campaigner Rachel Riley of endorsing physical attacks on Mr Corbyn over his handling of antisemitism in the Party, leading to Ms Riley launching a libel claim.
The news came as the Labour Party’s disciplinary process went into meltdown. Deputy Leader Tom Watson called on members to inform him about their complaints over antisemitism in the Party so that he could check that they were appropriately handled by the General Secretary’s staff, prompting the General Secretary, Jennie Formby, to resort to claiming that he was upsetting her staff and might breach data protection legislation. Amidst all of this, Ms Formby announced that Labour peer Lord Falconer would launch an “independent” review of antisemitism before it emerged that he was even less independent that Baroness Chakrabarti.
Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “As the daughter of a close friend who was hired as his Parliamentary aide, Laura Murray could not be closer to Jeremy Corbyn. It beggars belief that she was interfering in Labour’s disciplinary process without his knowledge. This goes straight back to Jeremy Corbyn.
“Ms Murray has Mr Corbyn’s ear and is trusted to carry out his wishes, which is why it is no surprise that she has been parachuted into the Party’s disciplinary unit. She used to copy him in on e-mails to us about antisemitism and sarcastically write to wish us ‘good luck’ with our demonstrations against antisemitism in the Party. The stench surrounding Jeremy Corbyn just got even more putrid. It is hard to believe that Labour MPs really imagine that their Party can be saved.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism has referred Labour to the Equality and Human Rights Commission for investigation, because the Party’s leaders clearly have no intention of addressing the Party’s antisemitism themselves.
In the past six months, eleven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism.
