The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is planning to take the matter to logical end and if necessary, the party sources maintain, Corbyn could be forced out of the party. No doubt this is an explosive situation impacting the future of the Left in the Labour Party

It is really shocking that at a time when Labour should be focused on the government’s incompetent handling of the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit, the party was tearing itself apart. Of course the issue is quite important and significant, but the denial of space to Corbyn has sparked massive controversy leading a good number of members of house to quit the party and force a vertical split.

It is irony that Corbyn who has been always determined to eliminate all forms of racism has been charged with anti-Semitism. Since 2016, a year after Corbyn was elected leader - Labour has been plagued by allegations of anti-Jewish racism by some of its supporters, mostly on social media. Anti-Semitic abuse is against the law - and in May last year the body that polices human rights and equalities in the UK launched an investigation into Labour's handling of complaints about the behaviour of some of its supporters. On Thursday, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission published its report, saying Labour had broken the law.

The Commission put some of the blame on "serious failings" under Corbyn's leadership of the party. But it was not the conclusion of the report that led to the former leader's suspension, says Labour. Instead, it was his reaction to the findings. He said anti-Semitism was "absolutely abhorrent" and "one anti-Semite is one too many" in the party.But he then said: "The scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media."

Starmer who has been nursing abhorrence against Corbyn since the days he was a member of the shadow cabinet under Corbyn acted fast, suspended him without caring for his claim that his team had "acted to speed up, not hinder the process" and that the scale of anti-Semitism within Labour had been "dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party".

There is a general sentiment that rightist forces have outwitted Corbyn as they look at him as the potential threat to their survival. The leftist stance of Corbyn has not only shaken them it has also turned some of his own party leaders sceptical. Momentum and other Corbyn supporters were treating him as a saint, martyred in the pursuit of pure socialism, while the rest of the party was desperately trying to find a way to move on from his programme.

Rather than being an end to the matter, the EHRC report had once again split the party on tribal lines. Boris must be the happiest man. This is an attribute admired by many of his devotees, a frustration abhorred by his detractors and a sadness to those in Labour who believe it coloured the party's handling of anti-Semitism.

This incident nevertheless provided an opportunity to Sir Keir Starmer to tighten his grip on the party and send the message that the truly Labour is under new leadership. Though Corbyn promised to "strongly contest the political intervention to suspend me" the sources confide that he may not get sufficient time to act. Before he comes with some counter action, he may be thrown out of the party.

However he reiterated those who denied the party had an anti-Semitism problem were "wrong" and he would "continue to support a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of racism". Corbyn did not retract his earlier comments and said: "I'll be appealing to the party and those who made the decision to kindly think again."

Keir Starmer not providing space to Corbyn to clarify his side and saying that former Labour leader is not anti-Semitic has surprised the party members. IKn fact Starmer’s assertion; ‘I am not purging anybody or any group within the Labour party’ is viewed with suspicion. It is widely known that Corbyn has been suspended at his direction, but he is unable to muster dare to confess. Instead he has been putting the blame on the new general secretary, handpicked by him.

The grassroots left-wing group Momentum condemned “a naked attack on the left that undermines the fight against anti-semitism and makes a mockery of Keir Starmer’s pledge to unite the party”. Meanwhile Len McCluskey, whose Unite union gives millions to the party each year, warned “chaos” would “compromise Labour's chances of a general election victory. A split party will be doomed to defeat”.

The Labour party which has been facing a war of attrition ever since Starmer became the leader is on the verge of a split. Leaders and MPs on the left of the party have started circulating a petition demanding Corbyn’s unconditional reinstatement. Starmer however has been trying his best to put a brave face; “ I don’t want to carry out a 1980s-style “Militant purge”. I am not purging anybody or any group within the Labour party” while insisting he would “not tolerate anti-semitism full stop”. He also said; “There is no reason for a civil war, there is no reason to lean inwards. That is not what I want. I want to unite the party.”

On Corbyn’s personal culpability, Starmer stressed how the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s findings were a “collective failure of leadership”. He however confessed ;“It’s very important to recognise that, in the report we received yesterday, there were no individual findings against Jeremy Corbyn”. But is not willing to clarify, why even then he suspended Corbyn. (IPA Service)