The Shami Chakrabarti Legacy

Mr Watson [Deputy Leader of the Labour Party] said: "I find it incomprehensible that our elected lay members on the disciplinary panel found Ken Livingstone guilty of such serious charges, and then concluded that he can remain a member of the Labour Party.

"When I read the words of Chief Rabbi Mirvis, who says that 'the Labour Party has failed the Jewish community, it has failed its members and it has failed all those who believe in zero tolerance of anti-Semitism', I can't disagree with him. I wish I could, but I can't.

"I am ashamed that we have allowed Mr Livingstone to cause such distress. It isn't just Jewish people who feel disgusted and offended by what Mr Livingstone said and by the way he has conducted himself over this matter, and it isn't just Jewish Labour members who feel ashamed of any indulgence of his views anywhere in the Labour Party. This shames us all, and I'm deeply saddened by it.

The problem that Shaw, Gnome, Carroll said did not exist - Quite naturally the more rational, logical and reasonable among us will accept that the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party knows more about what is happening in the Party that he is Deputy Leader of than Shaw, Gnome and Carroll.