Jeremy Corbyn’s friend Marc Wadsworth expelled from the Labour Party for accusing Jewish MP of orchestrating media conspiracy
Almost two years after Marc Wadsworth accused Jewish Labour MP Ruth Smeeth of orchestrating a media conspiracy, he has at long last been expelled from the Labour Party.
The incident happened at the launch of Baroness Chakrabarti’s whitewash report clearing the Labour Party of antisemitism. At the launch event, Mr Corbyn compared Israel to ISIS, before Mr Wadsworth stood up to accuse Ms Smeeth of being behind a media conspiracy. As Ms Smeeth fled the room in tears, Mr Corbyn looked in inertly, and was later seen joking and laughing with Mr Wadsworth as they left the event together.
Mr Corbyn’s behaviour was condemned by Labour MP Chuka Umunna during a House of Commons investigation into antisemitism forms part of Campaign Against Antisemitism’s disciplinary complaint against Mr Corbyn.
On her way to give evidence at the hearing, Ms Smeeth was escorted by approximately fifty Labour MPs and peers in a show of solidarity, as protesters as protesters outside the hearing said that the allegations were merely intended to unseat Jeremy Corbyn. One activist, Tony Greenstein, who was expelled from the Labour Party in February, reportedly told journalists that Israelis and the CIA were behind the allegations.
A Labour party spokesperson said: “The NCC [National Constitutional Committee] has found that two charges of a breach of the Labour Party’s rule 2.1.8 by Marc Wadsworth have been proven. The NCC consequently determined that the sanction for this breach of Labour Party rules will be expulsion from membership.”
Mr Wadsworth had insisted to journalists outside the hearing: “I’m not an antisemite. I’m an anti-racist.”
Whilst this case languished in the Labour Party’s opaque and dysfunctional disciplinary system, various prominent Labour Party figures have defended or rubbed shoulders with Mr Wadsworth, including Labour MPs Naz Shah, Chris Williamson and Clive Lewis who were seen standing side-by-side with Mr Wadsworth in February.
Kick It Out Chairman Lord Ouseley and veteran campaigner Peter Tatchell even wrote a letter to The Guardian demanding Mr Wadsworth’s readmission to the Party, whilst a founder of the sham Jewish Voice for Labour organisation, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, suggested that Mr Wadsworth was innocent because Ms Smeeth had deliberately left the room in tears to make Mr Corbyn look bad.
At the time, Ms Smeeth called on Mr Corbyn to resign, a call given added impetus by today’s decision.
