UK Edition
The conversation round tomorrow's Friday-night dinner table is likely to be quite different for Jewish families who gather together for their traditional weekly dinner. Along with the chicken soup, we'll be chewing over the damning findings of the EHRC investigation into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
It doesn't overstate the case to say that for so long, our traditional meal was the place where we'd exchange views about whether we had a future in this country if Corbyn was elected. Whether anti-Semitism would enjoy widespread political endorsement and trigger a new wave of harassment.
Even after Labour's defeat and the election of a new, seemingly moderate leader – committed, so he said, to wiping the scourge of anti-Semitism from the party – many of us remained nervously optimistic.
Sure Keir Starmer dealt swiftly and efficiently with Rebecca Long-Bailey. Sacking the then shadow business secretary from his cabinet for sharing an interview in which Maxine Peake made outrageous and unfounded claims about US police learning the practice of kneeling on people’s necks "from seminars with Israeli secret services".
But he has been slower to censure MP Stephen Kinnock for saying Israel's actions are "tantamount to profiting from the proceeds of crime". Clearly neither Long-Bailey nor Kinnock feared or were concerned their trite remarks fell in the shadow of the Corbyn's years. Relentless accusations of anti-Semitism stained the party. Now those accusations have been rubber-stamped with the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report.
The findings accuse Jeremy Corbyn of "serious failings of leadership" and "political interference" in the party's internal complaints process. The EHRC also found that Labour itself is responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination towards Jewish people. Starmer has said, rightly, this is a "day of shame".
Not least considering many Jews once regarded Labour as their rightful political home – thanks to its mandate for fighting racism, prejudice and it's support of the underdog. Or that the EHRC investigation was only the second time such a probe had been opened into a political party. The first was – oh the irony – into the BNP. But now the leader has to act. It's not enough to indulge in slogan politics. He needs a copper-bottom plan. To kick out those who brought the Party into such dire disrepute through heating of ancient hatreds.
Not least Jeremy Corbyn whose failing as as a leader – by default, design and even direct involvement – allowed anti-Semitism to flourish. It is not enough that Jeremy Corbyn, pending investigation, has been suspended . Or that he has had the whip removed from the Parliamentary Labour Party. He needs to be ‘sacked’ as an MP. And booted out of Parliament.
Starmer should first pressure him to resign as an MP and simultaneously exhort Corbyn’s constituents to no-confidence their elected representative.
Otherwise – and Starmer is a former DPP – it needs to be done via statutory instrument. Perhaps through modifying the Representation of the People Act 1981 which automatically ejects any MP sentenced to jail for more than a year.
The latter is probably the most robust option. After all, Corbyn remains, despite report in a state of denial. Saying the number of complaints made during his tenure were "dramatically overstated” And a Press conference insisting "I'm not part of the problem".
Getting Corbyn ejected from Parliament through legal enforcement would be an emblematic and pragmatic response which will endure for all time as a lesson to those political leaders who allow Jew hatred to thrive under their watch.
What's more, Shami Chakrabarti should be stripped of her ermine. The Baroness did, after all, produce a lamentable whitewashed report (under Corbyn's watch and direction) which concluded Labour had not been overrun with anti-Semitism.
It is especially important for Starmer to act since he remained disturbingly quiet during the Corbyn years. And doubtless would have served under him had Labour scored victory. Starmer's stance was particularly hard to swallow since his father-in-law is Jewish, the family come from Poland and an extended number of relatives now live in Israel. His lack of bravery or perhaps his political strategising was palpable. But, as Jews, we have a cultural disposition to forgive. To move on. We want a future – while learning from the past.
Keir Starmer needs to grasp the moment, show strength, purpose. And above all act. Anything less will reduce the EHRC report to window dressing. Friday night or not, the Jewish community would never swallow that.
Keir Starmer must go further to axe Corbyn from Labour over anti-Semitism shame
It is especially important for Starmer to see this through since he remained disturbingly quiet under his predecessor