Thread by @AdamWagner1

The way that #Panorama juxtapose the whistleblowers with those who have experienced antisemitism brings home how institutional racism - where processes are infected - has real victims. It’s *not* just about overt racism

I have met some of the Jewish people who have been interviewed and many more who have had similar experiences not just online but at meetings and in the party itself. It’s devastating. These are young idealistic activists who may never get over what they have seen

For people who have closely followed the Labour issue will recognise much of the #Panorama detail. But here it is in its full horrifying expanse.

#Panorama got to the heart of the issue of Labour antisemitism.

It’s about the toxic mixing of political factionalism and anti-racism, where protection of your faction is more important than protecting people from racism

And it’s about a complete failure of leadership.

And Labour’s petulant, conspiratorial responses to #Panorama speak volumes. Despite everything, they see this as a bitter factional dispute. Despite everting.

Ultimately, the buck stops with Jeremy Corbyn. He is the leader, the staff look up to him. It is under his watch that Labour has become what it has become.

Credit to the individuals who put themselves forward for interview on #Panorama. They didn’t come across as embittered political hatchet wielders as the Labour Party has it. They seemed distraught and in some cases damaged. They are brave and deserve our thanks.

The worst part for me was Sam Matthews saying he contemplated suicide. These are principled people who have been exposed to the dark side of factional racism #Panorama

The reaction to #Panorama from factional Labour supporters is, as usual, telling. They can’t see beyond the interviews (with Jews and ex labour employees) being ‘political enemies’ and the (MSM) BBC being ‘horrifically biased’. No empathy, no remorse.

I am sure interviews were cut down for emphasis (obviously they were) and nuance of some communications lost.

But.

The central claims of huge political failings, interference and a relentless upsurge in racism in the party were *true*

That. Isn’t. The. BBC’s. Fault.

Reading social media, I think there are roughly 2 camps:
1. Understand the problem, #Panorama conclusions as broadly correct, what can be done?
2. still see this as essentially about factionalism not racism, focus on 'imbalance' as if there is a huge ongoing debate about scale

I think - and you may say I'm coming with my biases here - there isn't a real debate here. Not anymore.

There is little point in agonising between 'sides' in Guardian articles or whatever.

Labour has a racism problem, the current leadership has abjectly failed to deal with it

Perhaps the only remaining debate is the core motivations of Jeremy Corbyn and his inner circle. Do they believe their own publicity, that this is a concocted conspiracy against them? Are they antisemites? I don't know, perhaps we will never know

I wonder if they have become antisemites? Because they have found themselves in a kind of endless war with the Jewish community, and in their own minds they can no longer separate factional loyalties from that dispute, so a win for the faction requires a loss for the community