Evening Standard comment: Labour MPs right to defy Corbyn on hate views; HMV finds a lust for life; Goodbye Dog, Hello Pig

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Last year Labour’s leaders promised “zero tolerance” towards anti-Semitism in the party — but didn’t enforce it. They set up an “anti-Semitism working group” — but immediately excluded the only Jewish group formally affiliated to the party.

Jeremy Corbyn said he was “absolutely against anti-Semitism in any form” — but kept turning up in unpleasant videos with people “whose views”, he then explained, “I completely reject”.

The respected Jewish Labour MP Margaret Hodge tackled her leader about it , describing him as a “racist and anti-Semite” who did not want “people like me” in the party — but found herself under investigation by the party for daring to say what she felt.

No wonder that this week Labour MPs are accusing the party’s most senior official of covering up complaints about anti-Semitic remarks by Labour members.

No wonder Labour MPs have just had to vote unanimously for a motion calling for the party leadership “to adequately tackle cases of anti-Semitism, as failure to do so seriously risks anti-Semitism in the party appearing normalised and the party seeming to be institutionally anti-Semitic”.

Think about it. Labour MPs, people who know their leaders better than anyone, have been driven to describe their party as appearing to be “institutionally anti-Semitic”.

That’s the desperate state to which Mr Corbyn has reduced Labour.

He’s had any number of opportunities to end this and he has blown them all. He’s a man who dismissed criticism of the hateful opinions expressed, repeatedly, online and in person, by some of those in the party who claim to be his greatest supporters, merely as “this anxiety”.

The truth is that he just doesn’t think there’s a problem.

Maybe, as many in Labour have come to realise, it’s because he shares elements of that world view. No doubt he’ll patronise his critics again and seek refuge in his own belief in his moral purity.

But judge him on what he does, not what he promises to do. On that standard he’s fallen far short, as even Labour MPs are now forced to protest.

HMV finds a lust for life

Books are finished, it was claimed not long ago.

Everyone said that electronic devices would sweep ink and paper aside. Well, that turned out to be wrong.

Book sales have gone up and it’s e-readers that have run out of power instead. The number of independent bookshops in Britain has even increased for the past two years in a row.

Why? Because people like owning physical objects which are beautiful and enjoyable — and because bookshops upped their game. Waterstones has been reborn under skilled new leadership.

Stanfords, London’s wonderful map and travel shop, has just moved to a smart new home in Covent Garden.

Can music retailers pull off the same trick? Maybe we are about to find out.

HMV has struggled to sell CDs on the high street now that everyone can stream music to their mobile devices. But today brings the welcome news that someone who actually understands the record business has bought the chain out of administration.

Doug Putman, who runs the Canadian retailer Sunrise Records, says he will have to shut 27 HMV stores. But 100 others will survive — and perhaps thrive.

Rising sales of vinyl records are one reason to think it might work. Sell things people want and maybe it’s no surprise when customers turn up.

Goodbye Dog, Hello Pig

Chinese New Year 2019: Celebrations around the world - in pictures

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Chinese New Year is many things.

Formally, the Year of the Pig is the last of a 12-year cycle in the Chinese Zodiac, pig replacing dog today before giving way to the rat next January.

Informally, it’s a chance for holidays and parties in Chinese communities around the world, including in Britain.

London’s Chinatown will hold its main events next Sunday, including a parade that’s part of the largest celebrations anywhere outside Asia. And of course there will be plenty to eat.

Enjoy the fun — and gung hay fat choy (in Cantonese) or xin nian kuai le (in Mandarin).

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