An video has emerged of an extraordinary rant by hardline Corbynista MP Chris Williamson about anti-Semitism at a Momentum meeting in Sheffield. In the video unearthed by the Yorkshire Post, a visibly angry Williamson shouts about how Labour is being “demonised as a racist bigoted party” before going on to say Labour has been “too apologetic” about anti-Semitism:

“I think the Party’s response has been partly responsible… we’ve backed off on too much, we’ve given too much ground, we’ve been too apologetic”.

Incredibly, this triggers rapturous applause from the audience and his fellow panel-members. If any further evidence were needed of the depth of Labour’s institutional problem with anti-Semitism this is it…

Williamson then goes on to joke about how he sang “Celebrate good times, come on!” outside Chair of Labour Friends of Israel Joan Ryan’s office after she left the Labour Party. It comes on top of further revelations yesterday that he booked a room in Parliament to screen a new film by disgraced suspended Labour member Jackie Walker entitled “Witchhunt”. You can guess what it’s about…

Labour MPs have heavily condemned the event, Stephen Doughty has called for “urgent action” to be taken while Shadow Brexit Minister Matthew Pennycook called it “absolutely disgraceful” and said “the reaction from the audience is just as, if not more, disturbing”. Wes Streeting called it “stomach turning” while predicting no action would be taken. Corbyn ally Williamson has been given a free pass by the leadership for too long, now they will surely have to act…

UPDATE: Tom Watson is writing to the Labour chief whip calling for Chris Williamson to have the whip removed.