A Centrist anti-Corbyn Labour MP is facing legal action after accusing a Jeremy Corbyn-supporting Labour member of antisemitism and demanding that they are “thrown out” of the party for using the now commonly used slang term, “gammon”.
The row began after the prominent pro-Jeremy Corbyn Twitter activist, Damian from Brighton, posted a tweet expressing his intention to celebrate when the notoriously anti-Corbyn right-wing Labour MP Mike Gapes finally decided to make good on his word and leave the party.
Gapes, the Labour MP for Ilford South, has been outspoken in recent days about his intention to quit the party over the ongoing furor over antisemitism.
Furthermore, Gapes has been extremely direct in his condemnation of Jeremy Corbyn supporters on Twitter, frequently responding to them on Twitter with insults and attacks.
In a tweet directed at Gapes on Twitter, Damian from Brighton wrote:
“Your departure from Labour is completely understandable. You are a supporter of an organisation associated with an apartheid state so it isn’t tenable for you to remain in the party.
Could you confirm your leaving date? I will be holding a gammon supper to celebrate.”
.@MikeGapes
Your departure from Labour is completely understandable. You are a supporter of an organisation associated with an apartheid state so it isn’t tenable for you to remain in the party.Could you confirm your leaving date? I will be holding a gammon supper to celebrate. pic.twitter.com/xfy0w3J0w1
— Damian from Brighton (@damian_from) August 26, 2018
Seemingly riled by Damian’s quip, it didn’t take long for Gapes to take the bait, responding in typically gammon-like fashion by accusing Damian from Brighton of being an antisemite and strongly implying that he should simply go away and die:
“I block antisemites. So It might be best if you crawl back into your antisemitic sewer, and then perhaps you might hold your breath while you are waiting for it to happen. Goodbye”
I block antisemites. So It might be best if you crawl back into your antisemitic sewer, and then perhaps you might hold your breath while you are waiting for it to happen. Goodbye https://t.co/s8dMU8JUDS
— Mike Gapes (@MikeGapes) August 26, 2018
However, following Gapes’ direct response, another anti-Corbyn MP decided to try and wade in on the dispute, in utterly cringeworthy fashion.
In an attempt to defend Gapes, the Labour MP for Rhondda, Chris Bryant, responded to Damian from Brighton by tweeting:
“If this person is a Labour member he should be thrown out for deliberately offensive anti-Semitism”
However, seemingly unable to find any clear antisemitism in Damian’s tweet, numerous Twitter users politely asked Bryant to back up his assertion.
Bryant responded by claiming that Damian’s usage of “Gammon supper” – a clear reference to Gapes’ gammon-like demeanour – was antisemitic.
Unable to accept his mistake, Bryant doubled down on the accusation, resulting in numerous absolutely cringeworthy Twitter threads attempting to explain the widely-used term “gammon”:
The term “gammon” is now so widely used that it even has its own Wikipedia page.
Furthermore, just to compound Bryant’s mistake, Mike Gapes is literally listed on the Gammon (insult) Wikipedia page as “an example of Prime Gammon“.
Damian from Brighton has since indicated that he is “taking legal advice” over Bryant’s “libellous and defamatory accusation“.
Marie, Chris Bryant has made a libellous and defamatory accusation against me regarding the tweet above.
I am taking legal advice.
— Damian from Brighton (@damian_from) August 26, 2018
In the tweet below Chris Bryant, a supporter of an organisation associated with an apartheid state, makes a libellous and false accusation against a Labour member.
I am taking advice on this matter today.
I again ask Mr Bryant to delete his malevolently defamatory statement. https://t.co/wDCSG0gXny
— Damian from Brighton (@damian_from) August 27, 2018
As of the time of publishing, Bryant had neither deleted his tweet, nor apologised for the accusation.
Evolve Politics have contacted Mr Bryant for comment. At the time of publishing, we have not yet received a response.
