No further action will be taken into her remarks
Labour has officially dropped an investigation into senior backbencher Margaret Hodge as an anti-semitism row continues to envelope the party.
No further action will be taken against the half-Jewish former cabinet minister after she launched a tirade against her party leader following a Commons votes last month.
“You’re a fucking anti-Semite and a racist,” Hodge told Corbyn behind the speaker’s chair, according to Huff Post, adding: “You have proved you don’t want people like me in the party.”
Hodge had been subject to an internal party investigation over her remarks, however a source told the Independent that the veteran MP had told Labour’s chief whip she had regrets about “the manner in which she raised her views”.
Labour’s general secretary, Jennie Formby, has now written to her to inform her that the matter was considered closed.
Dame Margaret told Sky: “I’m pleased that the Labour Party has finally dropped their ‘action’ against me. After 55 years of LP membership, going after me instead of addressing the issue was wrong. In 2018 anti-Semitism that has again reared its ugly head and the campaign against it goes on.
“The Labour Party must adopt the IHRA definition in full to start to rebuild trust. Thanks to everyone for kind messages of support which have kept me going.
“Just to be clear: there have been no apologies – on either side.”
The row between the pair came after Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee’s (NEC) decision to uphold new guidelines on tackling anti-semitism that did not conform to the full definition of anti-semitism drawn up by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
The Labour leaders office is now attempting to mend relations between the party and the Jewish community after a backlash against the decision.
On Sunday, Corbyn released a video message, in which he apologised for hurt caused to Jewish people by anti-Semitism in his party and said that Labour had been too slow in dealing with disciplinary cases.
There is no place for antisemitism in the Labour Party. We must drive it out of our movement for good. pic.twitter.com/V1voY75yz4
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) August 5, 2018
