Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he wanted to be able to “draw a line in the sand” after the anti-Semitism report’s publication, but Jeremy Corbyn hindered that.
Sir Keir told BBC Breakfast: “What I had hoped would happen yesterday is that we could accept what was going to be a very difficult day, draw a line in the sand and move on.
“And I’ve spoken extensively to Jewish communities, Jewish leaders over the last six months, that’s what they wanted to happen yesterday, an ability to recognise the hurt, draw a line and move on.
“That’s what I hoped would’ve happened yesterday, as it happens it took a different response because of Jeremy Corbyn’s response.
“I actually wanted to use what was going to be a painful day to move the Labour Party on and we will move it on and those that have been caused hurt and pain wanted that to happen as well.”
Sir Keir said he had spoken to Mr Corbyn the evening before the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report being published to advise him as to how he would respond but has not spoken to him since.
“I set out how I would approach the response to the report, the findings in the report were very clear in my view about unlawful indirect discrimination and I thought it was absolutely right that we accepted the findings, apologised for the hurt and the pain and made it clear we would implement all the recommendations,” he said.
