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		</div><p>The first hustings of the UK Labour leadership battle saw contenders clash over the way the party has dealt with anti-Semitism.</p>
<p>Backbencher Jess Phillips and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry appeared to spar during the hustings as part of the race to replace Jeremy Corbyn.</p>
<p>Birmingham Yardley MP Ms Phillips took a swipe at some her fellow contenders for “keeping quiet” over anti-Semitism in the party.</p>
<p>She said: <em>“The Labour Party needs a leader who has spoken out against anti-Semitism, and other forms of harassment in fact.</em></p>
<p><em>“When others were keeping quiet and somebody who was in the room, struggling for an independent system – lots and lots of meetings – I have to say I don’t remember some of the people here being in that particular room or being in those particular fights.”</em></p>
<p>Ms Phillips said that the Labour Party’s handling of anti-Semitism had meant it had lost the “moral high ground” to fight racism.</p>
<p>She added: <em>“Jewish people were scared of Labour winning the election.</em></p>
<p><em>“That’s deeply serious.</em></p>
<p><em>“The Labour Party has now lost the credibility to handle its own complaints syste</em>m.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We will always be held to a higher standard so we take the fight, we make the argument and we win. <a href="https://t.co/hBg2dJ7VTR">pic.twitter.com/hBg2dJ7VTR</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Lisa Nandy (@lisanandy) <a href="https://twitter.com/lisanandy/status/1218538029549178880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><em>“We have lost the moral high ground to fight racism in this country because of the way we have handled anti-Semitism.”</em></p>
<p>In a direct response to Ms Phillips, Ms Thornberry insisted that she had always been firm in standing-up against racism.</p>
<p>She said that the Labour Party should kick out anti-Semites in the same way “Oswald Mosley was kicked out of Liverpool”.</p>
<p>Ms Thornberry said: <em>“I tell you what Jess (Phillips), I have always been clear about it and I always will because it’s unacceptable, it undermines us as a party and undermines our soul.</em></p>
<p><em>“What we should be doing is kicking out these anti-Semites in the same way Oswald Mosley was kicked out of Liverpool in 1937.”</em></p>
<p>Shadow Brexit secretary and early front-runner in the leadership campaign, Keir Starmer, said there had been “too much division” in the party, adding: “We are unstoppable when we are united.”</p>
<p>Speaking at a Fabian Society conference in London after the hustings on Saturday, Mr Starmer said that if he was elected Labour leader, he would take personal responsibility for dealing with anti-Semitism in the party.</p>
<p>He said: <em>“If you’re anti-Semitic you shouldn’t be in the Labour Party and it is as simple as that.</em></p>
<p><em>“What I would do as leader of the Labour Party is take personal responsibility and a personal lead on this.</em></p>
<p><em>“Not put it somewhere else, but make it my responsibility in our party.”</em></p>
<p>All five candidates for the top job issued pleas for unity at the start of the Liverpool event after last month’s humiliation at the polls.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">At the first Labour leadership hustings I talked about how I&#39;ll use my strength to win back trust in communities across the UK; my experience- why I&#39;m the best person to take on Boris Johnson &; the Tories; and how, with our collective passion, I will lead us back into Government.</p>
<p>&mdash; Emily Thornberry (@EmilyThornberry) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilyThornberry/status/1218537005417750528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Ms Thornberry suggested all the candidates were seeking “the worst job in the world”.</p>
<p>She said: <em>“Being leader of the Labour Party in opposition is, quite frankly, the worst job in the world.</em></p>
<p><em>“That’s what we are applying for.</em></p>
<p><em>“In the end we have to wade through an awful lot of sh*t.”</em></p>
<p>Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey told the audience that divided parties do not win elections.</p>
<p>Backbencher Lisa Nandy said the Conservatives were not really interested in the former Labour seats they had won in Northern England and Wales in the general election.</p>
<p>She said: <em>“The Tories are talking about investing in the so-called ‘red wall’ seats.</em></p>
<p><em>“But, what they don’t understand is that this (vote) was a clamour for power, agency, and control, and they will never give it to people.</em></p>
<p><em>“Labour must.”</em></p>
<p>Some 500 Labour members were at the event and most of those approached afterwards said there was no “knock-out” blow by any of the candidates.</p>
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