[joeysteele]

The anti-semitism issue itself may not be a smear,there are clearly 2 instances that have been started to be dealt with and which will be looked at further as to if the offending 2 in particular should even remain in the party.
As will be the case for anyone who is found to have 'possibly' anti-semitic views and be then proven to have.

That is the right course of action and everyone should be, and particularly those in public life,be careful of what they say and the terminology they use when saying things too,or what they accuse others of being too, this has to go both ways.

Not every comment unpleasant to the Jewish community is likely to be anti-semitic in fact.
So hopefully too 'real'anti-semitism that wishes the Jews or the Jewish Nation harm will be rooted out if it exists and get eradicated because no one who holds that view should be in any UK party,it would be a pity they were even in the UK at all.

It is not lip service to set up an inquiry and the person chairing it is formidable,she will not brush things under any carpets for sure.
If any evidence is there to find and is found, then the judgement of this inquiry will be reserved by myself until it is completed.
There would have been a far greater outcry had Labour not held an inquiry and rightly so to.

On to Corbyn, I do feel he maybe does not see how there may be a problem with some minority,he seems'vacant' at times on this issue but no way do I believe him to be anti-semitic.
He does however seem to need a shake on this and be more passionate in his condemnation of the issue and determination to root it out once and for all.

As to the smear charge,the issue is there, not on the scale I think those who are just dead against Labour and the left generally are saying they think it is.
I also do think parts of the media and also those who have never accepted Corbyn's leadership victory,plus also those who just hate Corbyn anyway,who then are using this in part to smear him and the whole party if they can too.

Tory press digging any comments it can,while not waiting for the inquiry to do its work and see what it comes back with.
In that I agreed with Diane Abbott, which is rare for me, that this issue is being hijacked in part by those who just want Corbyn gone.

Really however,it has to be sorted out because it is now seeming from what some have said to me these last couple of days while out canvassing.
'Well just what can anyone say about Israel or the Jewish community, if they disagree with them and are angry at them for any reason, that will not be seen as being anti-semitic'?.
After these events,I gave the only answer I could, I now myself no longer know for sure,for me it was about other things than just pathetic and ignorant off the cuff comments that cause offence but which in 'intent' meant no real harm to the Jews or Israel.

That on this showing, no longer seems to be the case, much more it appears has to be watched as to what is said now, so I answered I don't know now but hopefully we will in time get better outlines of where the barriers are as to 'real' anti-semitism and indeed to all forms of racism too while they are at it.