Ken Loach says Labour MPs who joined antisemitism protest should be ‘kicked out’ of party

Ken Loach, the pro-Jeremy Corbyn filmmaker, has suggested that Labour MPs who joined the demonstration against antisemitism should be kicked out of the party.

His comments follow a protest in Parliament Square last month that attracted hundreds of people and more than a dozen Labour MPs to demand that Mr Corbyn does more to tackle anti-Jewish feelings in his party’s ranks.

It was organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council. The speakers included Labour MPs John Mann, Luciana Berger, Louise Ellman and West Streeting.

According to the Daily Mail, Loach was speaking at a screening of his most recent film, I, Daniel Blake, organised by the Kingswood Constituency Labour Party.

“Unless we get Labour MPs who believe in that manifesto last year we won’t get in power,” he told those gathered. “If they’ve been going to the demonstration against him outside Westminster … those are the ones we need to kick out.

“You cannot work with people who have come to undermine the biggest challenge we’ve had – we’ve never had a leader like Corbyn before in the whole history of the Labour Party … and that’s why the dirty tricks are going to come out.”

When contacted by the newspaper over his remarks at the meeting, Loach, who produced party broadcasts for the Labour Party during last year’s general election, said the quotes “do not reflect my position”.

He continued: “Reselecting an MP should not be based on individual incidents but reflect the MP’s principles, actions and behaviour over a long period. Being an MP is not a job for life.

“My view is that candidates should be selected for every election and party members should be able to make a democratic choice.”

Referring to abuse directed at Labour MPs, Mr Corbyn told Jewish News shortly after the protest: “Any abuse makes me profoundly concerned and any abuse that is done is certainly not done in my name.

“People have a right to speak out and a right to demonstrate and that surely is something that is intrinsic in any democratic society. I will not tolerate abuse of people for their beliefs.”

The comments from the left-wing filmmaker came after the Israeli Labor Party formally suspended its ties with its UK sister party following the row over antisemitism.

In a letter to the Labour leader, chairman Avi Gabbay said it was his responsibility to acknowledge the “hostility” Mr Corbyn has shown to the Jewish community.

In response, Mr Corbyn said on Tuesday: “I wish they would read Shami Chakrabarti’s report. I wish they would understand that we are utterly determined in every way to drive out antisemitism from our society. And, where it exists in any party, to drive it out, including my own.

“I would be very happy to have that discussion with them. I think they should have done me the courtesy of asking me first.”

The Independent has approached Loach’s representatives for comment.