Andrew Castle Tells Labour MP: Jeremy Corbyn Is Absent On Anti-Semitism Row

9 February 2019, 08:26 | Updated: 9 February 2019, 08:45

Andrew Castle calls out Jeremy Corbyn's absence after motions of no confidence in Luciana Berger for campaigning against anti-Semitism were dropped.

Labour MP Andrew Gwynne told the LBC presenter that "anybody who uses anti-Semitism to attack a colleague of mine, a hard working Labour MP, has no place in our party."

Andrew Castle wasn't convinced everybody in the party is on the same page.

"You've got Tom Watson on one side of this, John McDonnell on the other, and you've got Jeremy Corbyn absent," he said.

But when Andrew Gwynne refuted it, calling it a "misrepresentation" and that the Labour leader has said "on numerous occasions" that there is no place for anti-Semitism within the party, Andrew Castle said: "You can sat it all you want, but he's the leader and I didn't see him yesterday and I've not seen him this morning."

Referring to the withdrawal of motions of no confidence in Labour MP Luciana Berger, Andrew Castle said: "I think most people would look at what happened to Luciana Berger yesterday and say there was a degree of anti-Semitism or misogyny."

Andrew Gwyyne replied: "As I say, there is no place whatsoever for anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, and we will root it out."

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The clash comes as two motions of no confidence against Labour MP Luciana Berger, for her criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn's handling of anti-Semitism in the party, were withdrawn.

Labour Party members from Ms Berger's constituency had called a meeting to discuss the motions, which came as she called on the Party to provide more details on the efforts to tackle anti-Semitism.

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson defended Ms Berger, saying that Labour Party members who bully Ms Berger "bring disgrace to the party that I love".

However Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said that she should offer assurances to her constituency members to resolve the issue, advising her to "say clearly that she is not supporting another party".