UK: Labour staff plotted to remove anti-war members

UK Labour’s disputes team plotted to act against members expressing anti-war sentiments, a leaked report revealed.

The publication, obtained by MEMO, details how the right-wing dominated disputes committee added certain words to its proscribed list, which was used to scan new members in an attempt to oust supporters of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Head of Labour’s compliance unit, Sam Matthews, added the word “war criminal” to its proscribed list, and told a colleague that using the word “warmonger” would be enough to have members removed from the party.

OPINION: Labour’s anti-Semitism crises fuelled by right-wing faction to undermine Corbyn says new report

The report alleges he told a colleague: “Rather than simply being a political opinion about, for example, MPs who take money from Saudi Arabia and the arms industry and support Saudi Arabia’s brutal war in Yemen – “calling someone a warmonger” was “generally” “enough in itself” to act against members.”

The explosive report was leaked to the public on Sunday and reveals damning revelations about factionalism in the compliance unit and how it overshadowed dealing with complaints of anti-Semitism, raising questions about attempts to sabotage Corbyn’s leadership.