The LibDems aren’t the only ones with an antisemitic headache this morning. Asked on LBC why Pete Willsman is still a member of the Labour Party 16 months after Labour was handed a recording of him saying Israel was behind allegations of antisemitism in the party, Sir Keir dodged the question. So much for zero-tolerance…
Let’s try Sir Keir again with this photo from a Zoom chat last night, in which John McDonnell and Laura Pidcock shared a virtual platform with notorious arch-antisemite Tony Greenstein. This is the second time Guido’s seen Greenstein alongside Labour MPs, after Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy were caught on Zoom.
Tony Greenstein boasted about McDonnell and Pidcock’s appearance alongside him, rejoicing they had defied the Board of Deputies’ pledge not to appear alongside antisemites:
“I have to say that I am extremely pleased that John McDonnell and Laura Pidcock, whose behaviour throughout the witchhunt has not been a model of socialist solidarity have now seen the error of their ways. The repentance of the sinner on the Road to Damascus is to be welcomed.”
Guido doubts Sir Keir will extend his zero-tolerance to taking action against his own antisemitism-appeasing MPs…
Last night two former Shadow Ministers – Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Diane Abbott – were caught attending a Zoom Conference in which antisemitism within the party was denied without challenge from her, Ken Livingstone was defended and former Labour Councillor Jo Bird claimed some party members had died as a result of disciplinary cases. Also in attendance was Jackie Walker, whom even Corbyn found too antisemitic to remain as a Labour member…
The chat, organised by the Labour Representation Committee was watched and photographed by journalist Lee Harpin, who claims at one stage Jo Bird alleged, “BAME disciplinary complaints were ‘deprioritised’ while antisemitism complaints were ‘prioritised’.” Another attendee visible is Tony Greenstein, who was also expelled from Labour for ‘Antisemitic bullying’ and called Israel “Hitler’s bastard offspring“. While Diane’s participation is unsurprising at this stage, is Sir Keir happy for one of his new intake to be sharing a virtual platform with such cranks, in contravention of the pledge to the Board of Deputies he signed?
UPDATE: A Labour spokesman tells The Jewish Chronicle, “This is being made clear to the Labour MPs who attended the call in the strongest possible terms and they are being reminded of their responsibilities and obligations.” That’ll tell ’em…
A party’s conference is their opportunity to allow members to debate policy, market their party to donors, and show the public the best of what their party has to offer. The Labour party are ensuring they tick this last box this year with a number of very questionable fringe events this year, featuring Jackie Walker and Chris Williamson.
Labour conference-goers can also look forward to a “Labour Against the Witchhunt” meeting with Ken Livingstone and Jackie Walker. The problem for Labour is surely within their party these views are no longer fringe…
Disgraced Labour activist Jackie Walker a former Vice Chair of Momentum who previously said Jews financed the slave trade, criticised Holocaust Memorial Day, and promoted conspiracy theories about Jews in the media. She has been at the centre of the hard left’s claims that anti-Semitism within the Labour Party is just an excuse for a ‘witch hunt’ of left wing activists. Today she was finally expelled, three years after her controversial comments made the news…
Jenny Manson, the Chair of fringe group Jewish Voice for Labour, has launched into a Chris Williamson-style attack on the anti-Semitism storm which continues to rock the Labour Party. Manson dismissed allegations of anti-Semitism as a “form of coup” by Labour MPs who are attempting to “split the party”, while pointing the finger at Tom Watson and Margaret Hodge for their “endless criticism of Jeremy Corbyn”. She accuses her own party’s MPs of using anti-Semitism as a “whip” against Jeremy Corbyn…
Jewish Voice for Labour is closely aligned with Labour Against the Witchhunt, the group founded by suspended Labour hardliner Jackie Walker, which is currently running a campaign to reinstate Chris Williamson. When the Tories suspended 14 members yesterday for Islamophobia they directly told them not to arrange any gathering which “purports to portray or appears to be connected in any way with the Conservative Party”. Yet suspended Labour anti-Semites are still happily running around holding events and setting up campaigns under the Labour banner…
On the day that the Jewish Labour Movement is deciding whether to disaffiliate from the Labour Party after 99 years, it speaks volumes that Corbynistas like Jenny Manson are still being given free rein to attack Labour MPs for calling out anti-Semitism while fresh controversies are uncovered on an almost daily basis about how the party leadership itself has been obstructing and interfering in investigations. Maybe that’s not such a surprise given Corbyn himself backed a motion to disaffiliate JLM’s predecessor from the Labour Party almost 35 years ago…
Jackie Walker spent most of yesterday evening vigorously defending now suspended Labour MP Chris Williamson from the half-hearted actions of the Labour Party, just days after she shared yet another arguably anti-Semitic image on her Facebook profile. The big hook nosed image is a standard trope..
Walker seemed particularly upset at how the Labour Party belatedly told Chris Williamson that it probably wasn’t a good idea to host a screening of her film called ‘The Witchhunt’ which defends Walker’s many bouts of anti-Semitism. She shared a supportive letter defending Chris Williamson and demanding that the film be shown in Parliament, whilst defending herself and her clearly anti-Semitic statements on the grounds of “dialogue and debate.”
Walker, a former Vice Chair of Momentum, has previously said Jews financed the slave trade, criticised Holocaust Memorial Day, and promoted conspiracy theories about Jews in the media. Despite this Williamson was determined to screen her film. Clearly neither of them have learned their lesson…
