Difficult to emphasise how much the ground has shifted because of the findings of the EHRC that denying or minimising the problem of antisemitism in Labour, implying Jews are factional bad faith actors - regrettably common for years - was part of unlawful harassment. https://twitter.com/mckinneytweets/status/1322091004728692736

See @DavidHirsh’s analysis. The Livingstone formulation is dead https://twitter.com/adamwagner1/status/1321931161434759173

Here are some of the key quotes from the report which demonstrate how central promotion of the 'antisemitism denial narrative' (that's the term used in the submissions I made for CAA and have mentioned here for years) was to the EHRC's findings:

Question for Labour is if Corbyn's statement fits within that narrative - was its intention or effect to "target Jewish members as deliberately making up antisemitism complaints to undermine Labour ... [ignoring] legitimate and genuine complaints of antisemitism in the Party"

"One antisemite is one too many, but 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"

Sounds to me a pretty standard formulation of the antisemitism denial narrative.

He obviously thought he was being careful by starting the section with an indication that "Anyone claiming there is no antisemitism in the Labour Party is wrong. Of course there is, as there is throughout society".

But as is often said, only read after the "but"

On its own terms, statement is bad - on the day, the hour, the EHRC report was released finding Labour under his leadership had unlawfully harassed and discriminated against Jewish people, and his office had unlawfully interfered with complaints including one against himself (!)

But to maintain the narrative - which I assume based on past conduct and statement he really believes - that "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..."

... is hugely problematic for the Labour Party. How can it move on when its former leader, who presided over this darkest moment, brazenly rejects the findings and mimics the very behaviour which the EHRC found to be unlawful harassment? And how could it possibly let that stand?

He has attempted to finesse (after he was suspended) - referring to polling about a "false impression" being created "of the number of members accused". But he doesn't renege from the central point inferring the crisis has been largely confected by internal enemies and media