Jeremy Corbyn has hit back at Zarah Sultana after she accused him of “capitulating” over antisemitism when he was Labour leader as tensions at the top of their new left-wing party grow.
The Islington MP said it was “not really necessary” for Ms Sultana, with whom he is currently co-leading the as-yet-unnamed party, to “bring all that up”.
It came after Ms Sultana used an interview with the New Left Review to say Mr Corbyn as Labour leader “capitulated to the IHRA definition of antisemitism”.
The Coventry MP also said Mr Corbyn alienated voters by “triangulating” on Brexit and that Labour under his leadership was “frightened and far too conciliatory”.
Asked about her comments by the Middle East Eye, Mr Corbyn said: “I think it was not really necessary for her to bring all that up in the interview, but that is what she decided to do.”
Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana confirmed the launch of the left-wing challenger party last month, with a conference scheduled for the autumn to decide on a formal name and its leadership structure.
When news of the party first emerged, Ms Sultana said the pair will co-lead the party together, something Mr Corbyn did not appear to have agreed to.
In her interview, Ms Sultana praised the “energy, mass appeal and bold policy platform” of Labour under Jeremy Corbyn.
But she hit out at its “limitations”, adding: “It capitulated to the IHRA definition of antisemitism… It triangulated on Brexit, which alienated huge numbers of voters. It abandoned mandatory reselection of MPs for the trigger ballot compromise, keeping many of the party’s undemocratic structures in place.
“It didn’t make a real effort to channel its mass membership into the labour movement or tenants unions, which would have enriched the party’s social base.
“When it came under attack from the state and the media, it should have fought back, recognising that these are our class enemies. But instead it was frightened and far too conciliatory.”
In a bid to end the antisemitism crisis that gripped the party under his leadership, Mr Corbyn announced it would adopt the IHRA definition in 2018.
He had initially sought to resist calls to fully adopt the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism, including by adopting just seven of its 11 examples of antisemitic behaviour.
Mr Corbyn said on Thursday that he preferred an alternative antisemitism definition but that the IHRA’s definition had a huge majority of support within the Labour Party when he was leader.
But he said “even the authors of the IHRA definition now disown it” and that his new party will adopt “a general anti-racist position”.
Mr Corbyn also hit out at Wes Streeting, touted as a potential future Labour leader, warning that he has “a great deal to be worried about” in his Ilford North constituency.
Mr Streeting was just 528 votes from losing his seat in the last general election, with independent pro-Gaza candidate Leanne Mohamad expected to run against him again for Mr Corbyn’s party.
The former Labour leader said: “I would think Streeting has a great deal to be worried about there, but maybe he’ll be looking for another constituency.
“The Labour Party is quite prepared to suspend all local democracy when it suits them, despite the leader being elected with a pledge that he would return democracy to the constituencies.” Mr Streeting has previously said he will not seek another constituency to run in at the next general election.
