Last night’s Peston saw host Robert Peston quiz Rachel Riley on online bullying and her views on antisemitism in the Labour Party. As she did so, Labour MP Gloria said she was “sorry” for “antisemitism” in the party.
Robert asked: “Rachel, I’ve got to put this to you, obviously you’ve led a very powerful campaign against anti-semitism and in particular, the way the Labour party has not dealt with it properly but you also called Jeremy Corbyn an anti-Semite, which quite a lot of Labour supporters thought was you trolling him.”
“I’d say it again, if I can call Jeremy Corbyn an anti-Semite, I will,” Rachel replied.
“At that point I must say Jeremy Corbyn has said many times he is not an anti-Semite and that theres no place for anti semitism in the labour party,” Peston interrupted.
“Why do you feel justified in saying what is a very very powerful and some would say nasty campaign?”
“There’s a petition that 55,000 people have signed who agree with me,” Rachel hit back.
“This hasn’t come out of a vacuum, I post evidence and I post quotes and I post videos and I post photos and post stories.”
Robert asked: “Can I bring in Gloria, who’s been critical of, I think, the way the Labour party has dealt with antisemitism.
“You presumably do not believe, do not think your leader is an antisemite?”
Earlier in the show, Rachel opened up about being trolled online and responding to cyberbullies.
“You did take on those who trolled you, those who you thought said horrible things? What drove you to do that?” Robert asked.
“I, was acting as normal people do, you defend your views, you defend your belief,” Rachel replied. “You assume people are up for a debate.
“And I got trolled for being a woman and being on TV and supporting a football team.
