Rachel Reeves defends Labour vetting in anti-Semitism row
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Rachel Reeves has insisted Labour cannot “see everything everywhere” as the party comes under pressure to toughen its vetting system for aspiring MPs.
The shadow chancellor defended the selection process after a senior Jewish figure called for improvements following the suspension of two parliamentary candidates embroiled in anti-Semitism rows.
She pointed out that the remarks at the centre of the storm were allegedly made at a “private meeting”, rather than an official Labour gathering, and only became public “much later” – stressing that “we can’t see everything everywhere”.
If Labour had known about the comments, attributed to candidates Azhar Ali and Graham Jones, she said the party would have taken action sooner.
Ms Reeves also defended Sir Keir Starmer’s response to the crisis, as well as the Labour leader’s determination to root out anti-Semitism in general, insisting he “hasn’t let the Jewish community down”.
She added that Labour acts “swiftly to ensure the highest standards” among both MPs and parliamentary candidates and “rightly so”.
The party has been urged to tighten its vetting process after it emerged Mr Ali, the Labour candidate in the Rochdale by-election, had accused Israel of letting Hamas murder its citizens as a pretext for moving into Gaza at a meeting of Labour activists shortly after the Oct 7 attacks. He has since apologised for the remarks.
At the same gathering, Mr Jones, who was Labour’s choice for the Hyndburn seat, is alleged to have referred to “f---ing Israel” and said that British volunteers in the Israel Defense Forces should be “locked up”.
Suspended
Both have been suspended from the party, although Mr Ali will remain Labour’s candidate in the Rochdale by-election on 29 February as it is too late to change the ballot paper. Any move to replace Mr Jones in Hyndburn would have to follow a formal party process.
Dame Louise Ellman, the vice-president of the Jewish Leadership Council and a former MP who quit Labour over anti-Semitism concerns during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, said the party “clearly” has to “tighten up its procedures”.
She has since rejoined Labour under Sir Keir, and initially defended Mr Ali, with whom she has worked in the past.
But she later told Times Radio: “When I heard the further comments, I just think that was too much. And it clearly was not tenable, not fit to be there as a Labour candidate and it was the right decision taken.”
She added: “The whole issue of people who are fit to hold public office and who don’t bring the political party into disrepute … that’s a broader issue than dealing with one specific issue and that has to be borne in mind when selections are made and clearly the party has to tighten up its procedures.”
Taking questions at a press conference in central London on Thursday, Ms Reeves was asked whether the party would tighten its selection process in light of recent events.
‘Acted swiftly’
She replied: “Well, first of all I would say that Keir Starmer acted swiftly in response to the accusations and the stories that came out about Mr Ali and Mr Jones and that was absolutely right.
“When Keir became leader, the number one thing that he said he would do would be to change the Labour Party by rooting out anti-Semitism. I only returned to the shadow cabinet because I was sure of Keir Starmer’s commitment to that and he hasn’t let me down. He hasn’t let the Jewish community down. And it is right that both of them have been suspended.
“In terms of the vetting procedure, my understanding is that this was a private meeting, not a Labour Party meeting, and that the recording was released much later.
“Obviously if we had known about these things we would have taken action sooner. We can’t see everything, everywhere but when we do see evidence of anti-Semitism, we act swiftly to ensure the highest standards, and rightly so, amongst our MPs and amongst our parliamentary candidates.”
Sir Keir faces another test of his authority with the SNP tabling a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, threatening to reopen Labour party splits on the issue.
A similar vote brought by the Scottish nationalists last November prompted a major rebellion, with eight shadow ministers breaking ranks to back the amendment to the King’s Speech.
Some 56 MPs defied a three-line whip ordering the party to abstain in order to support the SNP’s demands.
The Labour leader has since hardened his tone towards Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, and said the fighting “must stop now” with a “sustainable ceasefire” as the death toll in Gaza mounts.
