Can you tell me which other Labour members have been suspended by Keir Starmer?

After facing criticism for antisemitic behavior, the Labour party has pulled its endorsement of Azhar Ali, their previous candidate in the Rochdale by-election.

Mr. Ali is being accused of making anti-semitic remarks at a Labour meeting. At the meeting, he claimed that Israel intentionally allowed the October 7 attack to occur in order to justify their invasion of Gaza.

Initially, Labour supported their candidate and defended his belief in an online conspiracy theory. However, after receiving new information, they retracted their support. Mr Ali has since apologized wholeheartedly for his statements.

Keir Starmer’s Labour party has a history of suspending members for accusations of antisemitism or racism, including some well-known incidents. The Member of Parliament for North London has promised that his leadership will not tolerate any form of discrimination, including antisemitism and racism.

Some have criticized Mr Starmer’s leadership of the party for showing bias in the disciplinary process. Most recently, Matt Forde KC, who wrote a report on anti-Semitism in the Labour party, stated that the handling of Mr Ali’s case was chaotic and brings up concerns about unequal treatment.

The following individuals, who are also members of the Labour party, have been suspended due to accusations of racism or antisemitism:

In October 2020, Jeremy Corbyn, the previous leader of the Labour party, was suspended for refusing to accept the findings of a report on antisemitism within the party. He argued that the issue was exaggerated for political gain, causing a clash with his replacement, Keir Starmer.

A representative for the Labour party stated that Corbyn was suspended due to his failure to retract his statements. More than two years later, Starmer announced that Corbyn would not be eligible to run as a Labour member of parliament.

What was his response?

Corbyn’s initial response was that he would strongly oppose his suspension, deeming it as politically motivated. Subsequently, he provided an explanation for his remarks, but did not issue an apology or take back his statement.

“The point I wished to make was that the vast majority of Labour Party members were and remain committed anti-racists deeply opposed to antisemitism,” wrote the former leader, “I fully support Keir Starmer’s decision to accept all the EHRC recommendations in full”.

It is anticipated that Mr. Corbyn will continue to run as an independent candidate in Islington North, the constituency he has represented since 1983.

In April of 2023, Diane Abbott faced suspension from the party for her comments in The Observer, where she implied that individuals who appear to be white, such as Irish people, Jews, and Travellers, do not encounter racism in the same manner as those who are not white. The party acted swiftly and announced her suspension on the same day.

After 9 months, Abbott is still suspended as party officials state that the investigation is still in progress.

What was her response?

Following her suspension, Abbott issued an apology and expressed her desire to completely and sincerely retract her statements. The MP acknowledged, “The mistakes were made in a preliminary draft that was sent. However, there is no justification, and I apologize for any distress it may have caused.”

The experienced Member of Parliament has recently expressed her belief that there is no official investigation. She suspects that the party is using the disciplinary process as a means to prevent her from running in the upcoming election.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, who previously served as the shadow education secretary, was dismissed in June 2020. She had posted an article by Maxine Peake, in which the actor alleged that “tactics used by the police in America, such as kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, were learned from seminars with Israeli secret services.”

Long-Bailey posted the article on Twitter, praising Ms Peake and later clarifying that she did not endorse all of its contents. Starmer swiftly removed her from her shadow cabinet position, but she was not suspended.

The leader of the Labour party stated that he requested Rebecca Long-Bailey to resign from the shadow cabinet due to sharing an article containing what he believes to be antisemitic conspiracy theories. This decision was not based on any accusations of her being antisemitic.

What was her response?

After being suspended, Long-Bailey posted on Twitter: “I did not intend to endorse every aspect of the article.” She stated that the party had requested her to remove her two initial tweets, but she could not do so “with a clear conscience”. The tweets have since been removed, but it is unknown when they were deleted.

“I had requested a discussion with Keir to determine our next steps, but unfortunately he had already made his decision,” she stated. Long-Bailey continues to serve as a Labour MP for Salford and Eccles.

In October 2023, Andy McDonald, who previously served as the shadow employment secretary, was suspended for three days after using the phrase “from the river to the sea” at a peace rally organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. The slogan, often utilized by supporters and advocates for Palestine, has been a topic of heated discussion since the Hamas attack on October 7 of last year.

Mr McDonald stated that their goal is to achieve justice and peace for all individuals, both Israelis and Palestinians, residing between the river and the sea. They will not stop until this goal is achieved.

A representative from the Labour party stated that the remarks made by Andy McDonald over the weekend were highly offensive, especially given the current increase in antisemitism that has caused fear and concern among the Jewish community for their safety.

Mr. McDonald stated on Twitter that he was subjected to a “precautionary suspension” for a period of three months. However, his suspension has been extended beyond this initial time frame.

What was his response?

After being suspended, Mr McDonald expressed his sadness about the news and stated that he is eager to participate and cooperate fully with the investigation. He clarified that his statement was a sincere plea for an end to the violence in Israel, Gaza, and the occupied West Bank and should not be interpreted in any other way.

In the following months, Mr. McDonald has taken initiative in ensuring that his statements are accurately portrayed by the media, resulting in multiple corrections. He is taking legal action against Conservative MP Chris Clarkson for falsely accusing him of justifying the Hamas attack on October 7th.

In 2021, Mr McDonald resigned from his position as Shadow Secretary for Employment, citing Keir Starmer’s failure to uphold promises made to workers and fulfill his commitments.

In January 2024, Kate Osamor, a Member of Parliament from Edmonton, was temporarily removed from her position for stating on Holocaust Memorial Day that the events in Gaza should be acknowledged as a genocide. In a letter to party colleagues, she emphasized the importance of honoring the victims of the Holocaust, as well as other genocides such as those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Gaza.

What was her response?

Ms Osamor issued an apology on Twitter / X afterwards, stating: “Holocaust Memorial Day serves as a reminder of the 6 million Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust and the subsequent genocides.”

I am sorry if my mention of the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza during a time of remembrance has caused any offense.

Despite ongoing investigations, Ms Osamor remains suspended from the party.

Graham Jones, a previous Member of Parliament for Hyndburn, who is running for re-election in his district, was temporarily banned after Azhar Ali. He was captured on tape using profanity to refer to Israel and stating that British citizens who join the Israel Defence Forces should be imprisoned.

Guido Fawkes released this audio, which is said to have been recorded during the meeting where Mr Ali made the comments that led to his suspension. The Jewish Labour Movement condemned his remarks as “shocking and not tolerable.”

What was his response?

As of now, Mr. Jones has not publicly addressed his suspension.

Source: independent.co.uk