A storm has blown up this week in Wavertree. This quiet(ish) suburban constituency is being examined under a microscope to see whether its recent shenanigans are indicative of a national malaise in the Labour party.
So…the back story runs like this – eminently qualified (if something of a blow in) candidate wins a seat in Liverpool.
The MP does a good job. There are a few negative but newsworthy occurrences – they’re one of the Nando’s 5, they fight a vicious, antisemitic troll in court, they resign a front bench seat because of Corbyn’s past support of Hammas – but they issue a statement congratulating the party leadership on its election gains and things go quiet…
Well, they would if the MP was a man. Except we’re talking about Luciana Berger – who had to put up with constant carping about her prioritising feeding her baby over evening debates during the election campaign, who is often hashtagged #HitlerWasRight and who was laughed at for sticking by her principles.
Now the boys club has taken over the constituency – ‘Roy Bentham, one of the newly-elected officials, said: “She will now have to sit round the table with us the next time she wants to vote for bombing in Syria or to pass a no confidence motion in the leader of the party – she will have to be answerable to us. We would like her to come out publicly like other MPs have done and apologise for not supporting him in the past.”’, (Telegraph 6/7/17).
She offered support. Must she wear a hairshirt as well? What does she have to do to appear supplicant enough for these dolts? What on earth makes these people think that she cares?
Welcome to being a woman.
I don’t want to heap on the accusations but, fuck it, it’s a Saturday and I have time. Berger gave up her front bench seat because she disagreed with support for Hammas. That’s a perfectly viable position to take – and nobody should be penalised for standing by principles by a party that lauds its incumbent leader for doing just that.
But she’s Jewish. And don’t think that has no influence here. Unless you’ve been on the end of antisemitic behaviour, you have no idea what constitutes it. Intent doesn’t matter – it is what it is. Stay in your lane.
That’s a piece of advice Mr Bentham might want to follow. I hope that his past history of antisemitism will be examined and his shadowy cabal of smug twats disbanded in the short term…but I doubt it. White men like to cling on to power almost as much as Theresa May does.
Sophie's Voice 
This utter drivel has been done to death. After 45 years in the party I can say I have never come across any anti Antisemitism. I have once or twice came across men who resented women being elected, but that is because they failed to get elected, but Antisemitism? never.
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I’m glad you haven’t Terry – but that’s not to say it doesn’t happen.
In this case, it’s best to ask the people who have experienced it.
Lastly – as the strapline says – this is an example in microcosm. I can assure you that I would not have written the piece without good sources and anecdotal evidence. Especially on a Saturday afternoon. There were gin and tonics to drink and children to play with.
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