A modest group of protestors gathered outside Labour HQ this afternoon to protest Sir Keir’s decision to proscribe four “toxic” hard-left Labour campaign groups from the party at today’s NEC. Considering the meeting was held over Zoom, Guido doubts it had much of an impact…
Nonetheless, Guido spoke to some of these protesters to see what they had to say. There were a colourful range of characters, including Tony “notorious antisemite” Greenstein who insists that claims of anti-Semitism have been manufactured to sabotage the Labour Party, and Piers Corbyn who ardently assured Guido that his brother is not an anti-Semite. It’s a shame 85% of British Jews don’t agree…
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…
Fresh from banning burgers, leftie student dystopia Goldsmiths is this summer playing host to “Communist University”, a week of lectures put on by the Communist Party of Great Britain. For just £250 (or a “solidarity price” of £300), you too can be treated to a week of communist-inspired lectures from luminaries of the British left, from Tony “Zionist scum” Greenstein to Graham ‘Stop the Witchhunt’ Bash. How long until the People’s Republic of Goldsmiths just goes the whole hog and starts rounding up the bourgeoisie?
Yesterday, Guido reported on the farce of Chris Williamson’s Brighton event being cancelled three times by venue hosts once they learnt of his vile brand of politics. Eventually however, Williamson’s loony followers did find a venue to hear him speak… A car park.
Guido’s co-conspirators who went along found that it wasn’t just Williamson speaking in Regency Square, he also shared a platform with the notorious Tony Greenstein, someone Guido readers will remember for being expelled from Labour after using the term “Zio“, ranting about “Zionist scum” and saying “Gay Zionists make me want to puke“.
If Labour were hoping Williamson would use his period in the wilderness to change his ways, they’ve got a long wait yet…
Chris Williamson’s latest outburst about Labour anti-Semitism is certainly nothing new – Guido has unearthed comments made by Chris Williamson at a ‘Labour Against the Witch Hunt’ fringe event at Labour Party conference this year. Their own report of the event is titled “They can f*ck off”. Not a good start…
According to Labour Against the Witchhunt, Chris Williamson “confronted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism… declaring that he often described Israel as an apartheid state”, denounced the “terrible injustice” done to Jackie Walker and condemned the way Marc Wadsworth had been “demonised as a bigot”, before calling on Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell to “wake up” and “confront the rightwing witch-hunters”. Instead of going after the anti-Semites in the Labour Party, Williamson urged the leadership to go after those who were calling it out…
Williamson said that “bullying” would only stop when people stood up to, declaring that “the monster is getting bigger. Stop feeding the beast!” To top it off, Williamson was also sharing a platform at the event with the notorious Tony Greenstein, who was suspended by Labour for “repeatedly using ‘zio’ as a term of derision, stating ‘Gay zionists make me want to puke’ and referring to others as ‘Zionist scum’”. Labour have merely issued Williamson with a “notice of investigation” after his lacklustre apology today, he hasn’t even been suspended during the investigation…
