Eric Pickles slams Labour move to reinstate anti-Semitism row MP Naz Shah after just two months
UK special envoy on post-Holocaust issues slams 'terrible decision' as crisis grows in Jeremy Corbyn's party
THE crisis engulfing Jeremy Corbyn deepened tonight as Labour was blasted for re-instating an MP who was suspended over anti-Semitic Facebook posts.
Bradford West MP Naz Shah was allowed back into the party just two months after it emerged she shared posts calling for Israeli Jews to be sent to America.
The decision to re-instate her, taken by a panel of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee, came after she issued a grovelling apology and reached out to the Jewish community.
But Tory Sir Eric Pickles, the UK special envoy on post-Holocaust issues, branded it a “terrible decision”.
He told The Sun: “I’m not saying she could not have come back but this is far too quick.”
And it came despite 33 local party members in Bradford calling for her to be expelled.
Mr Corbyn sparked international outrage last week by comparing Israel to ISIS terrorists and failing to speak up while Jewish Labour MP Ruth Smeeth was verbally abused.
Ms Smeeth said Labour could not be a “safe space for British Jews” under Mr Corbyn’s leadership.
Today it emerged Marc Wadsworth – the hard left activist who accused Ms Smeeth of working “hand in hand” with newspapers – has been booted out of Labour.
And Ken Livingstone could be kicked out over his repeated Hitler rants after the NEC recommended his expulsion and passed the case to the National Constitutional Committee.
Meanwhile the bid to force Mr Corbyn to resign was stuck in stalemate after a round of meetings between senior figures and Unite union boss Len McCluskey.
Mr McCluskey met with Deputy Leader Tom Watson, Chief Whip Rosie Winterton, PLP chief John Cryer and Mr Corbyn himself after 172 MPs demanded he quit.
Related stories
Senior MP Angela Eagle is ready to launch a leadership challenge if the veteran socialist stands firm.
But as the limpet leftie insists he is going nowhere, plans are being drawn up to split the Labour Party in two if he cannot be ousted.
Despairing senior MPs are planning a breakaway and have begun wooing donors to fund a new group free of union influence and the militant far-left.
The dramatic move is being plotted as a last resort with MPs desperate not to give up control of the historic party.
But one said: “If we have to re-found the Labour Party, then we have to re-found the Labour Party.”
On Monday night former leader Lord Kinnock insisted there would be “no split”, telling MPs and Peers: “Damn it, this is our party! I’ve been in it for 60 years, I’m not leaving it to anybody!”
But tonight one MP said: “We are not going to surrender our party.
“The hard question is what happens if the militant left have stolen it and we can’t get it back.”
Last night Mr Corbyn finally filled all his shadow cabinet posts following a mass walkout last week – but had to give several MPs more than one job.
Paul Flynn, 81, is Shadow Wales Secretary and Shadow Commons Leader, while Angela Rayner is Shadow Education Secretary and Shadow Equalities Minister.
And Dave Anderson is Shadow Scotland and Northern Ireland Secretary.
Mr Corbyn still has dozens of junior front bench positions sitting vacant.