Corbyn Barker Checks In

Jeremy Corbyn last night faced a furious attack by a survivor of the IRA's Poppy Day massacre, who said that, as a 'sympathiser for terrorism', the Labour leader should not be allowed to become. Jeremy Corbyn was the main reason why voters chose not to back the Labour Party at the general election, according to a new poll. Mr Corbyn has announced he will step down as leader after Labour.

It has been more than a week since Jeremy Corbyn was suspended by the Labour Party he recently led.

The Islington MP was suspended and had the party whip removed following comments he made in response to a damning report into antisemitism in the party.

The 130-page report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission said it found 'significant failings in the way the Labour Party has handled antisemitism complaints over the last four years'.

The report said they found 'specific examples of harassment, discrimination and political interference', but also noted 'a lack of leadership within the Labour Party on these issues' which it said was 'hard to reconcile with its stated commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism'.

In response, Mr Corbyn said Jewish Labour members were right to expect the party to deal with antisemitism 'and I regret that it took longer to deliver that change than it should' but added 'the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party'.

The suspension of the former party leader has led to major ructions within the Labour Party and amongst its MPs.

But where do Liverpool's five Labour MPs stand on the decision?

We had a look at what our city's elected members have said - and asked those who hadn't commented publicly for a response.

Ian Byrne MP

The West Derby MP is a passionate supporter of Mr Corbyn and has made his feelings on the suspension very clear.

He tweeted: 'For the avoidance of doubt: Jeremy Corbyn's suspension is wrong.

'He should be reinstated.

'The EHRC report should be implemented in full and we move forward fighting racism in all forms. Without socialism & socialists the Labour Party will wither on the vine.'

Mr Byrne was one of the members of the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group (SCG) to sign a letter calling for the party to quickly re-instate Mr Corbyn's membership.

Paula Barker MP

Paula Barker is a member of the SCG but said she wasn't at the meeting where the letter was discussed so didn't sign it.

She told the ECHO: 'Unfortunately, I wasn't at the SCG meeting last night where this was discussed.

'I think the EHRC report recommendations need to be implemented in full without equivocation.

'I would like to see this matter resolved positively and quickly with Jeremy back in the Party.

'I believe we are stronger when we are united as a party. In the meantime my focus is on supporting my constituents through what will be a very difficult winter.'

Dan Carden MP

Dan Carden is a rising star of the Labour Party and was promoted to Labour's front bench under Jeremy Corbyn.

He was also given a shadow cabinet job under current leader Keir Starmer but recently quit over the so-called 'Spycops' vote.

A long-time Corbyn supporter, Mr Carden released the following statement this week: -

'Jeremy is a kind and decent man who has campaigned against racism and injustice all his life. His place is in the Labour Party.

'Both Keir and I served in Jeremy's Shadow Cabinet and fought for him to become Prime Minister.

'Even now, the grounds for his suspension remain unclear and concerns have been raised by party staff that due process was not followed.

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'This has further undermined trust in the fairness and transparency of our disciplinary processes and he should be reinstated immediately.

'The whole of the Labour Party must work together to fully implement the EHRC recommendations and build a culture that's welcoming for all communities.

'I unequivocally stand in solidarity with our Jewish members over Labour's collective failure on antisemitism. It's sad that what should've marked a moment of reflection and repair has been overshadowed.

'The people I represent in north Liverpool are facing immense hardship this winter due to the pandemic.

'The challenges posed by this crisis are unprecedented. Every day I'm hearing from constituents who can't afford to put food on the table, pay rent or provide basics.

'They are being let down by an incompetent, self-serving government. The last thing they need is a Labour Party that is locked in a damaging and unnecessary civil war.

'We need to move forward with a shared focus on winning a Labour government and giving hope to our communities who deserve better.'

Maria Eagle MP

The long-serving Garston and Halewood MP was unequivocal in her support of Sir Keir Starmer and his response to the EHRC report.

She said: 'I strongly support Keir Starmer's response to the very serious & shameful findings in the EHRC report and his determination to implement its findings & root out anti-semitism from the Labour Party.

On Corbyn, she added: 'The suspension of any Labour member, including Jeremy Corbyn, is a matter that must be dealt with properly through our disciplinary processes and I am sure it will be.'

Kim Johnson MP Adrian peterson.

The new Liverpool Riverside MP is a member of the SCG but did not sign the letter calling for Corbyn's reinstatement.

And in a notice to her constituents she said she was 'disappointed' to see the former Labour leader's response to the EHRC report.

She wrote: 'Thursday's release of the EHRC report into antisemitism in the Labour Party made for desperately sad reading, identifying a culture that is 'at odds with the Labour Party's commitment to zero-tolerance of antisemitism' and one which demonstrated a clear breakdown of trust between the Labour Party, many of its members and the Jewish community.

'This is not the Labour Party I have identified with all my life, the party that has embedded opposition to all forms of racism.

'It is not the Labour Party that the majority of members and voters want to see.

'We must recognise the failings identified in the report, take them without equivocation, accept responsibility and commit to ensuring that we put the recommendations into practice. Actions, not words.

'I am deeply saddened by the hurt caused to our Jewish members, supporters, voters and the wider community.

'I have reached out to the Jewish community in Liverpool Riverside and I will continue to do so, to rebuild that trust.

Corbyn Barker Checks In India

'I was disappointed to see Jeremy Corbyn's statement that appeared to downplay the findings as it detracted from the party's positive commitment to rebuilding relationships with the Jewish community.

'To ensure out party is an 'open and welcoming home for people of all backgrounds and all communities', we need party unity and I hope that we can resolve this situation quickly and with due process, to fight antisemitism and all forms of racism and Tory attacks on our communities: through unity and solidarity, we can build a better society built on justice and equality.'

Waiting for the result of the Labour Party leadership vote, I thought it was a good time to share this astonishing piece from the Daily Mail last month. To attack left-leaning Jeremy Corbyn, the right-wing paper published a fictionalised future history, a report of Jeremy Corbyn's first 1000 days as Prime Minister of the UK.

‘Give him enough rope and he will hang himself,' a Blairite had said when Corbyn was elected Labour leader. That was true enough. The only problem was that he had hung the country too.

What's interesting is that apocalypticism and millennialism frequently function like this – although we are used to thinking of prophecy as predictions of the future, perhaps it is more important to consider it as criticism of the present. It is is not about what must happen, but about what must change; and therefore, a successful prophecy could be not one that happens, but one that provokes action in the present which prevents the prediction from happening – quite the opposite of the traditional way of thinking about it. Similarly, this function operates outside of 'religious' contexts – although perhaps party political allegiances are 'religious' as much as anything.

Among the ramifications of left-wing policy, according to the Daily Mail:

'One Direction went off on a US tour and never returned. Multi-millionaire comedians who had once cheered Labour couldn't see the joke when confronted with a Labour Prime Minister who actually meant what he said about soaking the rich. The summer transfer window saw the Premier League's biggest stars departing en masse.'

The suspension of the former party leader has led to major ructions within the Labour Party and amongst its MPs.

But where do Liverpool's five Labour MPs stand on the decision?

We had a look at what our city's elected members have said - and asked those who hadn't commented publicly for a response.

Ian Byrne MP

The West Derby MP is a passionate supporter of Mr Corbyn and has made his feelings on the suspension very clear.

He tweeted: 'For the avoidance of doubt: Jeremy Corbyn's suspension is wrong.

'He should be reinstated.

'The EHRC report should be implemented in full and we move forward fighting racism in all forms. Without socialism & socialists the Labour Party will wither on the vine.'

Mr Byrne was one of the members of the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group (SCG) to sign a letter calling for the party to quickly re-instate Mr Corbyn's membership.

Paula Barker MP

Paula Barker is a member of the SCG but said she wasn't at the meeting where the letter was discussed so didn't sign it.

She told the ECHO: 'Unfortunately, I wasn't at the SCG meeting last night where this was discussed.

'I think the EHRC report recommendations need to be implemented in full without equivocation.

'I would like to see this matter resolved positively and quickly with Jeremy back in the Party.

'I believe we are stronger when we are united as a party. In the meantime my focus is on supporting my constituents through what will be a very difficult winter.'

Dan Carden MP

Dan Carden is a rising star of the Labour Party and was promoted to Labour's front bench under Jeremy Corbyn.

He was also given a shadow cabinet job under current leader Keir Starmer but recently quit over the so-called 'Spycops' vote.

A long-time Corbyn supporter, Mr Carden released the following statement this week: -

'Jeremy is a kind and decent man who has campaigned against racism and injustice all his life. His place is in the Labour Party.

'Both Keir and I served in Jeremy's Shadow Cabinet and fought for him to become Prime Minister.

'Even now, the grounds for his suspension remain unclear and concerns have been raised by party staff that due process was not followed.

Keep up to date with coronavirus cases in your area by using your postcode below

'This has further undermined trust in the fairness and transparency of our disciplinary processes and he should be reinstated immediately.

'The whole of the Labour Party must work together to fully implement the EHRC recommendations and build a culture that's welcoming for all communities.

'I unequivocally stand in solidarity with our Jewish members over Labour's collective failure on antisemitism. It's sad that what should've marked a moment of reflection and repair has been overshadowed.

'The people I represent in north Liverpool are facing immense hardship this winter due to the pandemic.

'The challenges posed by this crisis are unprecedented. Every day I'm hearing from constituents who can't afford to put food on the table, pay rent or provide basics.

'They are being let down by an incompetent, self-serving government. The last thing they need is a Labour Party that is locked in a damaging and unnecessary civil war.

'We need to move forward with a shared focus on winning a Labour government and giving hope to our communities who deserve better.'

Maria Eagle MP

The long-serving Garston and Halewood MP was unequivocal in her support of Sir Keir Starmer and his response to the EHRC report.

She said: 'I strongly support Keir Starmer's response to the very serious & shameful findings in the EHRC report and his determination to implement its findings & root out anti-semitism from the Labour Party.

On Corbyn, she added: 'The suspension of any Labour member, including Jeremy Corbyn, is a matter that must be dealt with properly through our disciplinary processes and I am sure it will be.'

Kim Johnson MP Adrian peterson.

The new Liverpool Riverside MP is a member of the SCG but did not sign the letter calling for Corbyn's reinstatement.

And in a notice to her constituents she said she was 'disappointed' to see the former Labour leader's response to the EHRC report.

She wrote: 'Thursday's release of the EHRC report into antisemitism in the Labour Party made for desperately sad reading, identifying a culture that is 'at odds with the Labour Party's commitment to zero-tolerance of antisemitism' and one which demonstrated a clear breakdown of trust between the Labour Party, many of its members and the Jewish community.

'This is not the Labour Party I have identified with all my life, the party that has embedded opposition to all forms of racism.

'It is not the Labour Party that the majority of members and voters want to see.

'We must recognise the failings identified in the report, take them without equivocation, accept responsibility and commit to ensuring that we put the recommendations into practice. Actions, not words.

'I am deeply saddened by the hurt caused to our Jewish members, supporters, voters and the wider community.

'I have reached out to the Jewish community in Liverpool Riverside and I will continue to do so, to rebuild that trust.

Corbyn Barker Checks In India

'I was disappointed to see Jeremy Corbyn's statement that appeared to downplay the findings as it detracted from the party's positive commitment to rebuilding relationships with the Jewish community.

'To ensure out party is an 'open and welcoming home for people of all backgrounds and all communities', we need party unity and I hope that we can resolve this situation quickly and with due process, to fight antisemitism and all forms of racism and Tory attacks on our communities: through unity and solidarity, we can build a better society built on justice and equality.'

Waiting for the result of the Labour Party leadership vote, I thought it was a good time to share this astonishing piece from the Daily Mail last month. To attack left-leaning Jeremy Corbyn, the right-wing paper published a fictionalised future history, a report of Jeremy Corbyn's first 1000 days as Prime Minister of the UK.

‘Give him enough rope and he will hang himself,' a Blairite had said when Corbyn was elected Labour leader. That was true enough. The only problem was that he had hung the country too.

What's interesting is that apocalypticism and millennialism frequently function like this – although we are used to thinking of prophecy as predictions of the future, perhaps it is more important to consider it as criticism of the present. It is is not about what must happen, but about what must change; and therefore, a successful prophecy could be not one that happens, but one that provokes action in the present which prevents the prediction from happening – quite the opposite of the traditional way of thinking about it. Similarly, this function operates outside of 'religious' contexts – although perhaps party political allegiances are 'religious' as much as anything.

Among the ramifications of left-wing policy, according to the Daily Mail:

'One Direction went off on a US tour and never returned. Multi-millionaire comedians who had once cheered Labour couldn't see the joke when confronted with a Labour Prime Minister who actually meant what he said about soaking the rich. The summer transfer window saw the Premier League's biggest stars departing en masse.'

'With Corbyn abandoning the nuclear deterrent and slashing defence spending, US President Donald Trump announced that America could no longer regard Britain as a reliable ally.'

'When he sold our nuclear submarines to President Putin at a cut-price rate, Trump called for the UK's expulsion from Nato'

'Protesting that he had never been guilty of anti-Semitism, the Prime Minister declared that Israel was the chief obstacle to peace in the Middle East, and described Islamic State as a partner in the peace process. He was photographed shaking hands at No 10 with the leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Islamic terrorist organisations.'

That last one's my favourite. The first two points I don't have a problem with. If only Corbyn could have abolished the monarchy too…

Corbyn Barker Checks In Prison

Cossacks back to war gameranger. You can read the full story here.