What Ruth George tells us about the culture of Corbyn's Labour

Embed from Getty Images

Ruth George, the Labour MP for High Peak, has apologised for claiming the seven MPs who left her party yesterday may be funded by the Israeli government:

So she should, because her comments have to be seen to be believed.

Here is the report on BBC News:

Ms George, who was first elected in 2017 and is a strong supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, said on Facebook that the new group should be more open about its financial backers. 

She was responding to a councillor in her Derbyshire constituency "loving" a post with a picture of the seven MPs with the word Israelis underneath. 

Asked to comment on this, she said she would "condemn the calling of anyone as an Israeli when it is not the case" but suggested the comment "appears not to refer to the independent MPs but to their financial backers". 

"Support from the State of Israel, which supports both Conservative and Labour Friends of Israel of which Luciana was chair is possible," she added. 

"I would not condemn those who suggest it, especially when the group's financial backers are not being revealed. It is important for democracy to know the financial backers for any political group or policy."

Extraordinary.

George's apology is handsome:

"I unreservedly and wholeheartedly apologise for my comment. 

"I had no intention of invoking a conspiracy theory and I am deeply sorry that my ill-thought out and poorly worded comment did this. I withdraw it completely."

but what other construction did she imagine people would put on her words is she did not want them to think she was invoking a conspiracy theory?

Still, let's take her at her word. Let's accept she doesn't spend her spare time goosestepping the streets of Chapel-en-le-Frith singing the Horst Wessel Song.

What is more important is what this episode tells us about the culture of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party. And that is well summed up in this tweet:

In some ways Ruth George is a victim of Labour’s institutional anti-Semitism. No-one ever challenged her views or explained why they were racist. Instead, she’s been encouraged to hold them as a way to fit in & advance her career. It’s appalling the leadership has facilitated it.

— JWTheSpa (@SpaJw) February 19, 2019