Labour suspend Corbyn-ally caught in antisemitism row after pressure from MPs

A Labour MP who claimed the party had been “too apologetic” about antisemitism has been suspended after a stand-off between leading figures.

Chris Williamson. MP for Derby North, made the comments at a meeting of a branch of the pro-Jeremy Corbyn group Momentum in the wake of nine Labour MPs quitting the party last week.

After footage of the meeting came to light, numerous Labour MPs demanded Williamson be sacked from the party, with deputy leader Tom Watson leading the charge.

Initially, Williamson escaped a suspension while an investigation was launched into his remarks and other incidents.

That prompted even more anger, with a ruling committee of the parliamentary party demanding his suspension and instructing Williamson not to attend the weekly gathering of Labour MPs.

Williamson issued an apology on Wednesday morning, saying: "I deeply regret, and apologise for, my recent choice of words.”

He added: “I was trying to suggest how much the party has done to tackle anti-Semitism.”

At about 1pm on Wednesday, a Labour spokesperson was asked what action was being taken against Williamson.

They said: “Chris Williamson’s comments were deeply offensive and fall below the standards we accept of MPs.

“Downplaying the problem of antisemitism makes it harder for us to tackle it and Chris Williamson has rightly apologised and withdrawn his remarks and he’s been issued with a notice of investigation for a pattern of behaviour and is not suspended during the investigation.”

By 5pm, the Labour leadership had backtracked, and Williamson was indeed suspended.

Speaking to Sky News, the 62-year-old said: “I’ll be working within the processes of the party to clear my name, I’ve got nothing to say at this moment.”

Williamson has been one of Corbyn's greatest cheerleaders, and has repeatedly gone into bat for his leader in media appearances.

In a visit to Derbyshire at the end of January, Corbyn told Derbyshire Live: “Chris Williamson is a very good, very effective Labour MP. He’s a very strong anti-racist campaigner. He is not antisemitic in any way.”

Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger quit Labour last week, claiming the party was "institutionally antisemitic".