The first cut on this record has been cross-format focused for Airplay success.

The men beat on their drums. Thank you. I'm and today I'm joined for the second time by Richard Seymour. We'll be discussing the ongoing Labour anti-Semitism controversy. You can listen to the podcast on SoundCloud, iTunes and ACAST, and you can also follow on Facebook and Twitter. The handle is at Poll Theory Other. If you like the podcast, please do consider rating or reviewing it on iTunes. The podcast also has its own Patreon page, so if you've been enjoying the show, please do consider donating.

You can find the page at patreon.com forward slash poll theory other.

Richard Seymour is the author of many books, including The Liberal Defence of Murder, Unhitched,

The Trial of Christopher Hitchens, Against Aust austerity, and most recently Corbyn, the

strange rebirth of radical politics. He's also a commissioning editor for the journal

Salvage, and you can follow him on Twitter. His handle is at Leninology. So Richard, since we last

spoke, the crisis in the Labour Party regarding anti-Semitism has really escalated.

We've had Labour MP Margaret Hodge allegedly calling Jeremy Corbyn a, quote,

fucking anti-Semite and a racist. We've had Britain's three largest Jewish newspapers,

publishing articles claiming that a Corbyn-led Labour Party represents an existential threat to

Jewish life in Britain. There were the 68 Jewish rabbis who signed a letter labelling the

Labour leadership insulting and arrogant in failing to challenge, quote, severe and widespread

anti-Semitism within the party. And all of this seems to have also provoked something

of a split amongst Corbyn's supporters in the Labour Party and the broader Labour movement. So,

for instance, we had Matt Rack of the Firegays Union criticizing John Lansman of Momentum, due to

Momentum's decision to withdraw their support for Peter Wilsman after

he was recorded at a meeting claiming never to have encountered anti-Semitism in the party.

Why do you think that this crisis for the leadership of the Labour Party has accelerated so dramatically

recently and where do your sympathies lie regarding that apparent split between some of Corbyn supporters?

There are a few things. First of all, on Peter Wilsman. I don't think what he said was particularly intelligent.

I wouldn't describe it as anti-Semitic. And to that extent, I agree with Matt Rack, that he's being unfairly treated in as much as he's been called an anti-Semitic and to that extent I agree with Matt Rack that he's being unfairly treated

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