Trouble for Labour

The opposition in Britain is feeling a crumble in its order over Anti-Semitism

Boris Johnson isn’t exactly a popular leader now – he might have been wishing for some support, something to bank on to elevate his stature as a leader, and perhaps something monumental enough to jerk the opposition heavily. His wish was granted, at least for now. The Labour Party is wary of a ‘civil war’ within and the punctures have been revealed now. This comes as a sign of relief for Johnson who had been fighting turbulence because of his own separatist turns and mismanagement of the pandemic.

However, the decision to suspend Jeremy Corbyn – who, just months earlier, had been the prime contender against Johnson in the election – does not entirely read as a well-thought-out one. After all, Corbyn did admit that there was anti-Semitism within the party. He only added that the case might be a tad bit exaggerated to suit the opponents’ whims. There wasn’t an attempt to justify in his words, nor was there a shunning of the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) report findings. Perusing the suspension further, one may be able to note that there’s an internal toning down that’s come to play here.

The populist wave and surprisingly intact support for the conservatives did nothing to open up a political entrance for the Labour Party. Resorting to true leftist ideology has proven to be a negative effect as far as popular support is concerned. Corbyn is a true socialist and a staunch advocate against Israel’s encircling of the Palestinian cause. He has been vocal about this and he did lose the election. Having Corbyn as the face of the party was doing little to encourage Labour’s chances at winning. So, an internal toning down would’ve meant translating the development into an appealing public statement. This is about putting the manifesto straight than about anti-Semitism.

The Labour Party had been undergoing a gradual shift in its opinions and inclinations. Corbyn’s induction and gradual selection as the party’s leader were followed by greater share for members with a strong belief in Palestinian statehood. Over the years, numerous complaints and arguments had been raised against Corbyn for ‘not doing enough’ to remove the anti-Semitist tendencies in the party. This poison, as Keir Starmer describes the notion, just had to be removed.

If the Labour Party’s move is indeed in the direction to tackle a ‘toxic atmosphere’ that’s highly perilous, we should be welcoming it. There’s nothing better than evaluating your own party and trying to amend where you went wrong. Anti-Semitism should, by no means, be given leeway. As a leading opposition party, Labour should counter any such actual tendencies in its ranks and come up with measures to install a safer environment for political discussions. But, if there is a second and more problematic objective of tying this sensitive issue to a larger geopolitical one, a blind belief in Labour’s self-correcting brilliance would be flawed.