New Labour anti-Semitism row as hard Left union boss Len McCluskey tells Tony Blair’s half-Jewish former spin chief Peter Mandelson to go and and ‘count his gold’
- Unite kingpin took to Twitter last night to hastily apologise for remarks to BBC
- Mr Mandelson, whose father was Jewish, had praised new Labour Keir Starmer
- McCluskey is a friend and supporter of Sir Keir’s predecessor Jeremy Corbyn
Hard Left union bruiser Len McCluskey was at the centre of a new Labour anti-Semitism row today after telling Tony Blair’s former spin chief Peter Mandelson to go away and ‘count his gold’.
The Unite kingpin took to Twitter last night to hastily apologise after aiming the barb at Mr Mandelson, whose father was Jewish, in a BBC Newsnight interview.
He was being asked about the former Hartlepool MP – now Lord Mandelson – praising Sir Keir Starmer’s new leadership of Labour when he lashed out, saying: I stopped listening to what Peter Mandelson said many many years ago.
‘I would suggest that Peter just goes into a room and counts his gold and not worry about what’s happening in the Labour Party. Leave that to those of us that are interested in ordinary working people.’
He later backed down on social media, tweeting: ‘Before this gets out of hand, let me say language is important and I apologise to Peter Mandelson and anyone else if mine has caused hurt.’
But Jewish MPs and other Labour moderates rounded on the Unite general secretary, a close friend and supporter of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose time in charge was mired by anti-Semitism.
The Unite kingpin took to Twitter last night to hastily apologise after aiming the barb at Mr Mandelson, whose father was Jewish, in a BBC Newsnight interview
He later backed down on social media, tweeting: ‘Before this gets out of hand, let me say language is important and I apologise to Peter Mandelson and anyone else if mine has caused hurt’
Lord Mandelson was a close associate of Tony Blair during his time as prime minister and a former MP for Hartlepool before being made a peer
‘Why McCluskey uses tropes that many would consider antisemitic on BBC Newsnight is a question only he can answer.
‘Regardless, he doesn’t get to obfuscate and dictate to us what is and is not anti-Semitic when called out.
‘The ignorance with which these tropes are used by McCluskey and others shows just how pervasive and unchallenged antisemitism is on the hard Left.’
Jewish Labour Movement chairman Mike Katz added: ‘Stay classy, Len. Pretty disgusted by his language on Newsnight.
‘But I’d guess he’s best placed to know what’s anti-Semitic. Just like he’s got more experience of winning general elections than Mandelson.’
Euan Philipps, spokesman for Labour Against Antisemitism, added: ‘It is unsurprising but still shocking to hear one of the most senior figures in the British Labour movement seemingly reveal such a poisonous view.
‘Over the last four years Mr McCluskey has at times appeared to dismiss anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, describing it as ”mood music”, but this is the first time he has made such a seemingly anti-Semitic comment himself.
‘We hope the still to be published Equalities and Human Rights Commission into institutional antisemitism in the Labour Party will provide a framework for tackling this kind of anti-Jewish racism, and we look forward to Mr McCluskey’s forthcoming retirement as general secretary of the Unite union.’
Jewish MPs and other Labour moderates rounded on the Unite general secretary, a close friend and supporter of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose time in charge was mired by anti-Semitism.