The man in charge of Labour’s local candidate selections in Brighton and Hove has written to the party to demand that a candidate suspended over anti-Semitism be reinstated. Jon Rogers, chairman of the Brighton Pavilion Constituency Labour Party wrote to all local candidates in an email leaked to Guido saying:

“I have written today, on behalf of the LCF [Local Campaign Forum], to ask that the suspension is lifted immediately. The LCF approved Alex as a candidate and I remain convinced that this was an excellent decision.”

Alex Braithwaite was suspended by Labour for sharing “abhorrent” posts on social media, claiming Israel is “whipping up Labour’s anti-Semitism crisis to smear Jeremy Corbyn” and that the BBC was controlled by Jews. Alex’s local party appears to be standing by her…

Dear Comrades,

I am very sorry to have to write to inform all candidates that the Party has today taken the decision to suspend Alex Braithwaite, our excellent candidate in Wish ward.

There was no prior consultation with the local Party before this hasty decision was taken.

I have written today, on behalf of the LCF [Local Campaign Forum], to ask that the suspension is lifted immediately. The LCF approved Alex as a candidate and I remain convinced that this was an excellent decision.

Alex stands every chance of being one of two candidates who will oust two Tories in Wish Ward – and I very much hope that she will do so as an official Labour candidate whose suspension has been lifted.

I will let you know by Thursday if there have been any further developments.

In the mean time, our campaign organiser, as an employee of the Party, has been required to observe the decision which has been taken and therefore to advise that the Party cannot, for the moment, campaign for Alex’s election.

This is not a decision which has been taken either by our campaign organiser or (for that matter) by our Regional Organiser or any other member of Regional staff – and I hope that everyone will appreciate that Party staff are required to observe decisions taken by the Party.

We must not allow this foolish, hasty and damaging decision to suspend Alex to derail our excellent campaign for a Labour majority Council in Brighton and Hove.

On behalf of the LCF I would like to thank all candidates for the campaigning which you are doing, and will continue to do.

Best wishes,