As the allegations of anti-Semitism continue to be levelled at the Labour Party, most notably yesterday by the Murdoch Sunday Times (although their latest whistleblower has his own questions to answer, as Zelo Street has revealed), a number of variously interested commentators has piled in to give their views.
Ey up, the turn's here
One of these is Matt Forde, who claims to be a comedian. Forde is, by his own admission, a Blairite, and as such has been less than comfortable with Jeremy Corbyn leading Labour. He has also demonstrated superbly why opening mouth and inserting foot can be achieved with only one Tweet, over which he will soon be repenting at leisure.
He has devoted some considerable energy this past week to letting his followers know every last criticism of the Corbyn leadership, and especially when it comes to anti-Semitism allegations. Hence his RT of Nicole Lampert telling “‘Labour today presents like a textbook case of institutional racism,’ says Trevor Phillips who set up the Equalities commission which investigating the BNP and is now investigating Labour”.
This conveniently ignores Phillips’ disgraceful intervention in the Times’ “Muslim fostering” story, where he failed to do his research first (see HERE). Still, Forde was on the case when the latest exposé was splashed by the ST, RTing Gabriel Pogrund telling “A new whistleblower, Tim Dexter, who left [?] Labour complaints unit 3 months ago, tells me … Corbyn aides seized control of antisemitism cases in March … Karie Murphy's HR team ‘spied’ on staff with internal software … Staff routinely ‘disappeared' due to breakdowns”.
Dexter’s case, as I posted, may not be quite so cut and dried. Meanwhile, Forde RTd Pogrund again: “My interview with Labour whistleblower Tim Dexter … His testimony, the most up to date and detailed yet, is strikingly at odds with Corbyn's claims over the last year … One ally, Thomas Gardiner, makes all decisions. Corbyn's office still involved”.
He RTd the i Paper telling “Anti-Semitism whistleblowers to sue the Labour Party following BBC Panorama probe”. He also RTd Karen Pollock of the Holocaust Educational Trust noting “Leading lights say it how it is. For shame … ‘Jewish figures rail against Labour’s handling of antisemitism charges’”. And then he dropped the ball.
That happened when Forde decided on a personal intervention: “Momentum have attacked a ‘broken political system dominated by posh men from expensive private schools’. The same Momentum created by Jon Lansman (Highgate), James Schneider (Dragon, Winchester, St Paul's) who help Seumas Milne (Winchester) control Jeremy Corbyn (Castle House)”. Anyone miss the foot-in-mouth?
What he just said was that two Jews from a well-off background are controlling the Labour Party. There’s a description for that which Matt Forde can find in the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. That description is, indeed, “Anti-Semitism”. He’s so funny, he just wheeled out one of the oldest, and easily recognised, anti-Semitic tropes.
Still, it’s only for a laugh, innit? A word in your shell-like, Matt: the humour ain’t making it.
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5 comments:
Hate this unfunny prick. Once Blair's teaboy, he tried, and failed at standard stand up comedy, then saw a spot in satire and wasn't exactly setting the world alight with that. So out come the Rory Bremner (his mentor) style impressions and a podcast in a desperate attempt to be relevant.
I feel increasing impatience at waffle about 'anti-semitism'.
We're way, way past any 'ism'. In many left contexts, the ex-SWP and ex-WRP types who infiltrated are more correctly straight Jew-haters. Don't let them come the raw prawn with the stuff about Palestine — that's the specious pretence.
Here's a case-in-point: on Saturday there was a strong JVL presence at the Durham Gala. The Gala, remember, used to be a stamping ground for Manny Shinwell, Easington's MP.
Would a parallel Jewish Labour Movement stand have been equally possible? Or would it have been picketed by Chris Williamson MP, with his Jackie Walker placard?
forde is NOT a bliarite - he is a tory. I seen him say so on Tv a few years back. He was about as amusing as a fire at an orphanage back then, and I haven't watched him since but it seems nothing's changed.
Gobshite.
"the ex-SWP and ex-WRP types who infiltrated are more correctly straight Jew-haters."
No disrespect Malcolm, but that kind of sweeping generalisation is part of the problem in our society just now, where you are labelled something or another. And 'infiltrated' is a ridiculously coded nonsense word for what is simply 'joined'
Phillips and Forde, yesterday's men with no tomorrow. Never weres who will never be.
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