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A right Balls-up as Ed draws the line on anti-semitism hypocrisy
The suspension of Labour MP Graham Jones over his mild rebuke of Israel has proved a bridge too far, even for those supporting the Starmer path to power — what on Earth is going on here, asks ANDREW MURRAY
Ed Balls

ED BALLS emerged from the political history books last week to let the cat out of the bag.

Criticising the suspension of ex-MP Graham Jones as Labour candidate for Hyndburn by the party’s high command after he had been caught cursing out Israel on a secret recording, the former shadow chancellor said of Jones: “He is not a Corbynite, not hard left. Absolutely not anti-Israel  …  he is not anti-semitic.”

The immediate point is not whether Jones is anti-semitic — we will get to that in a moment. Rather it is the brazen implication of Balls’s remarks — that had he been a “Corbynite,” on the left or critical of Israel then he would have been guilty as charged and merited his punishment.

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