The Labour MP Kate Osamor has had the whip suspended while she is investigated for saying Gaza should be remembered as a genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day.

The MP for Edmonton in north London is due to meet party whips on Monday after issuing an apology over the message she sent on the eve of the day that marks the murder of 6 million Jews during the second world war.

  • SbisasCostlyTurnover@feddit.uk
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    10 months ago

    I think what she said (timing wise at least) was pretty politically naïve in that it paints a giant red target on her back…

    But is this really the level at which we’re withdrawing the whip from Labour MPs now?

    Jesus Christ. A few years ago a sitting MP could go out and say she’d stab the party leader “in the front” and nobody said a bloody word about it.

    • IbnLemmy@feddit.uk
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      10 months ago

      Starmar wants to win. He cannot afford the right wing media to go after him. A right wing media that is rabidly anti Palestinian. So yeah, he is clamping down on any Palestinian related comments.

      Don’t blame him personally… It’s our media landscape that is lop sided.

      • JoBo@feddit.uk
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        10 months ago

        A Labour party which will not stand up to the right-wing media might as well not be in office.

    • AlpacaChariot@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Improved party discipline is a large part of the reason why Labour stand a good chance of winning a majority in the next election, which is a huge turnaround. The absolutely shambolic party discipline under Corbyn really didn’t give the impression they would be able to get anything done in office.

      • SbisasCostlyTurnover@feddit.uk
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        10 months ago

        I don’t disagree. What I will say is that if Corbyn had gone after those on the other side of the party with as much enthusiasm as Starmer has with the left, the media would be all over him saying he’s ‘purging’ the party of it’s enemies.

        • AlpacaChariot@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Yeah I think that’s true, in most cases Starmer is stomping on anything that could be construed as even vaguely antisemitic, for obvious reasons given recent history. I’m not sure what the equivalent justification would be for Corbyn, going after people for flipping houses or fiddling expenses or something like that?

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    10 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    The Labour MP Kate Osamor has had the whip suspended while she is investigated for saying Gaza should be remembered as a genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day.

    The MP for Edmonton in north London is due to meet party whips on Monday after issuing an apology over the message she sent on the eve of the day marking the murder of 6 million Jews during the second world war.

    Osamor had distributed the message to her party members, saying Holocaust Memorial Day should be observed, but other genocides should also be remembered – listing Gaza as one of them.

    The former shadow development secretary, who served in Jeremy Corbyn’s top team, shared a photograph of herself signing the Westminster remembrance book of the Holocaust Educational Trust.

    Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow business secretary, told Sky News that Osamor had met the chief whip to discuss her comments and was due to meet officials again this week.

    Starmer has supported Israel’s “right to defend itself” in Gaza against Hamas, but more recently called for a sustainable ceasefire and hit out at the “intolerable” casualties.


    The original article contains 401 words, the summary contains 182 words. Saved 55%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • mannycalavera@feddit.uk
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    10 months ago

    There’s no way she didn’t know the backlash this would have caused for her and for the way her party will be seen this close to an election. Just brain dead to fall out of the party line with an election looming. And an MP for North London! Edmonton no less! Fuck me, she should have known better.