A Momentum officer has resigned in protest at Labour’s anti-semitism scandal saying he felt “sometimes unsafe and most certainly untrusted” as a Jewish member of one of its London Steering Groups. Joshua Garfield posted about his resignation from Newham Momentum’s governing body on social media, writing:

“This past week, the Labour Party has been mired in a series of accusations of antisemitism, both individual and institutionalised; I can say from first hand experience that these accusations are not without foundation. As a Jewish member, I have witnessed more antisemitism in the past week than I ever have in my 8 years of Labour Party membership.

“I have seen discussions on social media, both publicly and privately, between members of Newham Momentum and elected representatives of its Steering Group, which leave me unable to serve on that body in good conscience. In the past week, I have felt sometimes unsafe, and most certainly untrusted as a Jewish member of the Steering Group, hence I’ve decided to step down. While I believe political education and antisemitism training may help members of the group, in all honesty I don’t believe it would be sufficient to combat some of the deep-seated prejudices I saw being aired confidently, and which went unchallenged. I cannot work alongside individuals who seek to silence the legitimate concerns of Jewish Labour members, or who remain silent in the face of blatant racism.”

A Momentum Spokesperson said:

“As made clear in our recent statement, Momentum is committed to stamping out antisemitism across the Labour movement. Any complaints we receive will be investigated fully in line with our code of ethics, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.”

A local officer with more backbone than Labour moderates…