Rachel Riley has told the left-wing politician George Galloway to ‘f*** off’ amid an ongoing row about alleged anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
The Countdown star and the former Labour MP became embroiled in the angry spat when Galloway dismissed Ms Riley’s criticism of growing anti-Semitic sentiment.
Galloway, who was also a member of parliament for the Respect Party, slammed the Oxford University graduate, claiming she was ‘slandering’ the party.
But the former MP for Bradford West was swiftly told to ‘f*** off’ by Ms Riley, who reiterated she would not abide ‘anti-Semitic scum.’
Rachel Riley has told the left-wing politician George Galloway to ‘f*** off’ amid an ongoing row about alleged anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. The Countdown star has been vocal in her cricism of rising anti-Semitism and has been the victim of online abuse by far-left activists
The Countdown star (left) and former Labour MP (right) became embroiled in the angry spat after Ms Riley called out what she sees as a rising tide of anti-Semitic sentiment. The presenter, who is Jewish, said in recent weeks she has been confronted with ‘weird and aggressive posts about Israel and Zionists’. Galloway hit out at her dismissing her claims
Oxford graduate Ms Riley was in no mood for Galloway’s tweets, however, swiftly telling him where to go. ‘Today is not the day I’m going to be polite to antisemite scum – to be explicit George Galloway’ she said
The feud bubbled over today when Galloway, referencing Ms Riley’s previous tweets, said: ‘Dumbfounding. She calls Chomsky (or Chomski as she styles him) an anti-Semite and slanders half the Labour Party as the same.#Corbyn #Labour.’
Ms Riley replied: ‘F*** off George Galloway. Today is not the day I’m going to be polite to antisemite scum – to be explicit George Galloway.’
Galloway, who once appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, also took aim at Stephen Fry, the ‘1980’s left-wing comedy icon’, for backing her instead of the Labour Party.
The row heightened in recent days when Nick Hewer, outraged at the abuse Ms Riley was receiving online for standing up to anti-Semitism, said he would no longer vote Labour – something he had done since 1964
He said: ‘As an Anglo-Irish lapsed Catholic, raises to abhor bigotry, I am astonished at the blunt assaults and trickster arguments fired at my friend and colleague Rachel Riley for calling out anti-Semitism in that once great Labour party which I have voted for since 1964. Not any more’
He said: ‘To be clear stephenfry Are you “standing by” Rachel Riley off Countdown as an arithmetician or because you too consider NoamChomsky (aka Chomski) to be an Anti-Semite?’
Ms Riley, who is Jewish, said in recent weeks she has been confronted with ‘weird and aggressive posts about Israel and Zionists’ following a video she put out in December challenging anti-Jewish chants at football matches.
In a series of tweets acknowledging the vile abuse, she thanked colleagues who stood with her against the online bullying, including Countdown host Nick Hewer.
Galloway, who once appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, also took aim at Stephen Fry after the former QI host tweeted that he stood with Ms Riley
She tweeted: ‘Thanks to Nick Hewer and everyone else standing shoulder to shoulder with me and so many others, against bullying, and against Antisemitism. It’s so very much appreciated. BeLouder.’
In turn, Mr Hewer, who was outraged at the abuse Ms Riley was receiving, said he would no longer vote Labour – something he had done since 1964.
He said he was ‘astonished at the blunt assaults and trickster arguments’ aimed at her after she criticised Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism.
Galloway, who appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, also took aim at Stephen Fry after the former QI host tweeted that he stood with Ms Riley. Famously, on the then Channel 4 show, Galloway pretended to be a cat and crouched on all fours, purring and licking imaginary milk from the hands of the actress Rula Lenska. Dressed in a leotard, the left-wing firebrand smoked a cigar after having his head stroked and resting it on the lap of his fellow contestant
‘As an Anglo-Irish lapsed Catholic, raises to abhor bigotry, I am astonished at the blunt assaults and trickster arguments fired at my friend and colleague Rachel Riley for calling out anti-Semitism in that once great Labour party which I have voted for since 1964. Not any more,’ he tweeted to his 230,000 followers.
Last year Mr Riley revealed how she had been called a ‘Tory, brainwashed and thick’ for criticising Jeremy Corbyn after he was accused of racism.
Mr Corbyn denies allegations of anti-Semitism in his party.