Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell accused some Labour MPs on Thursday of attempting to use the ongoing anti-Semitism crisis to split away and form a new rival party.
In a tweet, the shadow chancellor said using anti-Semitism as a cover for such a political move would be “appalling cynicism,” suggesting some so-called “moderate” MPs have been conspiring to split the party for over two years, due to their opposition to Corbyn’s left-wing policies.
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“For anybody to use the issue of antisemitism as a cover for launching a new political party they had been planning for nearly two years would rightly be seen as an act of appalling cynicism, basely exploiting a genuine concern that people of goodwill are working hard to address,” Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell tweeted on August 16.
Earlier, Len McCluskey, chief of the Unite trade union, a key Labour ally, also issued a statement in support of Corbyn, alleging that some MPs were using the anti-Semitism scandal to oust Corbyn and achieve other political goals.
Chris Leslie and Chuka Umunna, among other Labour MPs, are reportedly looking to breakaway and form a centrist party.
However, Jewish groups have warned that the guidelines don’t go far enough and have called for further action to stamp out anti-Semitism from the Labour Party.
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