Siobhain McDonagh links anti-capitalism to antisemitism in Labour

Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh said there was a link between antisemitism and the anti-capitalist beliefs of ‘hard left’ Labour members during a Radio 4 interview this morning.

Asked by John Humphrys whether she believed the Labour Party was taking antisemitism “properly seriously”, McDonagh replied: “I’m not sure that some people in the Labour Party can.

“Because it’s very much part of their politics, of hard left politics, to be against capitalists and to see Jewish people as the financiers of capital. Ergo you are anti-Jewish people.”

Humphrys followed up: “In other words, to be anti-capitalist you have to be antisemitic?”

“Yes,” the Labour MP said. “Not everybody, but there is a certain… there’s a certain strand of it. These people are not Labour, have never been Labour, but we now find them in our party.”

McDonagh also commented on the row between deputy leader Tom Watson and general secretary Jennie Formby, which centres on the accusation that Watson wants to set up a “vague parallel complaints monitoring system”.

“Anybody who wants reassurance and wants his help can go to [Watson]. It’s interesting that she regards that as not a legitimate offer, and has tried to slap him down in the most rude way,” the MP for Mitcham and Morden said.