Starmer ‘disappointed’ with Corbyn but says ‘no reason for civil war’ in Labour

Politics

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has told Sky News he was “disappointed” in his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn’s response to a damning antisemitism report – but has insisted there is “no reason for a civil war” in the party.

Mr Corbyn was suspended from Labour on Thursday – a move he condemned as “political intervention” – after he claimed that antisemitism in the party was “dramatically overstated for political reasons”.

He has vowed to fight his suspension, raising the prospect of a bitter battle between Mr Corbyn, his allies and Sir Keir’s leadership.

But Sir Keir played down the prospect of a looming internal conflict within Labour.

“I don’t want a split in the Labour Party,” he told Sky News.

“I stood as leader of the Labour Party on the basis I would unite the party, but also that I would tackle antisemitism.

“I think both of those can be done, there’s no reason for a civil war in our party.

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“But we are absolutely determined, I am absolutely determined, to root out antisemitism.

“I don’t want the words Labour and Labour Party and antisemitism in the same sentence again.”

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