UK's Labor Staffers Allegedly Wrecked Corbyn Campaign: Report

United Kingdom’s (U.K.) main opposition Labor party launched Monday an “urgent investigation” after a leaked report on antisemitism, revealed evidence of factionalism and alleged sabotage during Jeremy Corbyn's term as the leader of the center-left political party.

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The 860-page internal report, dated March 2020, documented “hyper-factional atmosphere” inside the party with regards to Corbyn whose policies were considered far to the left by some of the party’s senior officials.

It suggests that efforts by Corbyn to take on cases of antisemitism were hindered by top staffers at the party’s headquarters.

The document claims that staff, when questioned, "provided timetables for the resolution of cases that were never met; falsely claimed to have processed all antisemitism complaints; falsely claimed that most complaints received were not about Labour members and provided highly inaccurate statistics of antisemitism complaints."

Staff charged with dealing with complaints reportedly only took action when prompted by Corbyn's team. In 2017, Corbyn’s office chased the staffers in the Labour party for action on a number of high profile antisemitism cases, including that of Ken Livingstone, former mayor of London, who was suspended from the party in 2016 in a row over claims of Nazi-Zionist collaboration.

The report contains WhatsApp messages showing that the Corbyn team was hopeful that Livingstone would be expelled.

But Livingstone was suspended for a year, and Corbyn was forced to provide an explanation to outraged Jewish community organizations. The decision to only suspend him for a year was interpreted by some members in Corbyn's office as an intentional attempt to “to create a crisis".

The report also reveals issues of racism within the party. 

Dianne Abbot, elected in 1987 as the country's first black woman Member of Parliament (MP), served under Corbyn as shadow home secretary and has been outspoken on issues of race. 

The report says that senior Labour members made comments stating that she “literally makes me sick”, while another said she was “truly repulsive”. 

Anti-Corbyn sentiment existed before he was elected as party leader in September 2015, the report suggests.

Senior staff in August 2015 sought ways to delay or cancel party elections when it appeared Corbyn was going to win.

After the veteran socialist’s election, a number of staffers began to work actively to hamper the party’s chances in the 2017 election, talking about launching a coup.

Plans included, for instance, a false poll showing that the party was “20 points behind” the Conservatives to make it seem as though the party was struggling and thus spark discord within its ranks.

Some suggested undermining the party leader by stopping work, with one staffer speaking of “coming into the office and doing nothing for a few months”.

Divisions inside the Labour Party reached such a level that staffers created a team called the “secret key seats team”, which ran parallel to the party’s general election campaign to support MPs associated with the party’s more conservative wing, using party budget and staff resources.

Closer to the election, staff were hoping for a Labour crash.

“With a bit of luck this speech will show a clear polling decline,” someone said, referring to a speech by Corbyn. "I CANNOT WAIT to see Andrew Neil rip [Jeremy Corbyn] to pieces over it tonight,” another said in anticipation of an interview by the veteran BBC journalist.

They were to be disappointed when the election exit poll predicted a hung parliament and discussed hiding their reactions, saying “everyone needs to smile” and “we have to be upbeat. And not show it”.

Left-wing Labour MP Richard Burgon who served under Corbyn said Monday that the party would have won the election were it not for “sabotage.”