Sir Keir Starmer has hit back at the trade union chief Len McCluskey for accusing Labour MPs complaining about antisemitism of “smearing” Jeremy Corbyn.
The shadow Brexit secretary suggested that those who denied the party had an issue with antisemitism were “part of the problem”.
The Unite general secretary, a close ally of the Labour leader, faced criticism after singling out five “Corbyn-hater” MPs whom he accused of “working overtime” to present Labour as a “morass” of antisemitism.
Starmer said it was obvious that the party had an issue with antisemitism. “Jeremy Corbyn has made it clear, and it is obvious, that we have got a problem with antisemitism. We have got to deal with it robustly and effectively,” he said.
“Part of that is the disciplinary procedure, which needs to be much quicker and much more effective, but there is also a cultural question. Part of that cultural question is to stop those denying that there is even a problem. That is part of the problem. So I am afraid I disagree with Len on this.”
In an article for the New Statesman, McCluskey insisted he was fiercely opposed to antisemitism, but named five MPs – Chris Leslie, Neil Coyle, John Woodcock, Wes Streeting and Ian Austin – who he said were “polluting” the leader’s efforts to tackle the problem.
“I look with disgust at the behaviour of the Corbyn-hater MPs who join forces with the most reactionary elements of the media establishment and I understand why there is a growing demand for mandatory reselection,” he wrote.
Each of the MPs mentioned has taken a powerful stand against antisemitism in the party. They are all also fierce critics of their party leader.
The mention of reselection will alarm some Labour MPs. Corbyn’s political secretary, Katy Clark, is carrying out a wide-reaching review of democracy in the party, which some fear could result in proposals that would make it easier for local parties to remove backbenchers critical of the leadership.
McCluskey’s pointed intervention came as Corbyn attempted to show he was getting to grips with the antisemitism row, after Jewish leaders expressed disappointment about the outcome of a meeting earlier this week.
There are understood to be 90 cases under investigation by Labour – with 18 waiting to go through the NCC (national constitutional committee) – the party’s most senior disciplinary body. Labour says that over the last three years there had been 300 complaints, and 20 people had been suspended in the last fortnight alone.
Unite was the largest single donor to Labour’s 2017 general election campaign and the party’s new general secretary, Jennie Formby, was previously a senior officer at the union. McCluskey himself is a close ally of Corbyn and his team.
The Guardian understands the McCluskey article was not cleared with Corbyn’s office in advance.
