Over 200 current and former Labour Party staff and supporters have written to Jeremy Corbyn excoriating his response to the latest anti-Semitism revelations about the Labour Party on Panorama. They point the finger unequivocally at Corbyn himself and his office:

“The Party’s response has been to smear Jewish victims, and former staff, accusing them of acting in bad faith… The way the party has threatened and denigrated these whistleblowers is appalling, hypocritical and a total betrayal of Labour’s core values…

“This shameful communications strategy is the creation of your office, which… has cynically used the party, and its outriders, to amplify a smear campaign against critics. But this crisis is ultimately your responsibility.”

They throw down the gauntlet to Corbyn to answer crucial questions, including whether he knew his most senior aides were interfering, and why so many anti-Semites are drawn to support him. They challenge him to “own that responsibility, or give it away to someone who will.” Right on cue, Corbyn is ducking out of tonight’s PLP meeting…

It comes just after current Labour Party staff tabled a highly critical motion in the GMB union which represents them condemning Labour’s response to Panorama. The motion states that it is “reprehensible” and a “source of great shame” that the culture within Labour could have caused staff to have breakdowns or contemplate suicide and slamming the way the party has attacked its whistleblowers. As MPs dither, Labour’s staff are taking matters into their own hands…