Six Labour councillors suspended over anti-Semitic messages are quietly reinstated

Six Labour councillors who were suspended for posting anti-Semitic messages online have been quietly reinstated by the party, the Telegraph reported last night.

The senior party members were all investigated over posts made on social media, including comparing Israel to Nazi Germany and repeating anti-Semitic tropes about Zionism.

All six were suspended while investigations were carried out, but were later cleared and allowed to remain in the party. It is not known if any disciplinary action was taken.

One of the six councillors, Salim Mulla, was a former mayor of Blackburn who remains an active Labour politician.

Jeremy Corbyn has revealed that Labour has been inundated with 300 complaints of anti-Semitism since he was elected leader in 2015.

He was suspended in May 2016 but reinstated in February 2017 despite posting a number of anti-Semitic messages on Facebook – one of which accused of Israel of being behind Isis attacks in Europe.

Asked about the decision to allow him back into Labour, Mr Mull a said at the time: ‘My social media posts were solely concerns about the treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli government and not about the Jewish people as a whole.’

Ilyas Aziz was also suspended in May 2016 over a number of anti-Semitic pictures and comments, including references to Zionism and the Rothschilds.

However he was allowed back into the party in December 2016 and is now a siting Labour councillor in Nottingham.

Another of the six, Shah Hussain, was suspended after comparing Israel to Nazi Germany but was reinstated in 2016. At the time he complained he was the victim of a ‘witch hunt’ and that the comments were ‘appropriate’.

A fourth Labour councillor, Miqdad Al-Nuaimi, was suspended in May 2016 but allowed back into Labour just two months later.

But he risked igniting fresh fury after he leapt to the defence of a controversial group which claims the accusations against him are a smear.

But he risked igniting fresh fury after he leapt to the defence of a controversial group which claims the accusations against him are a smear.

Two more councillors, Andrew Slack and Luke Cresswell, were suspended in 2016 and later allowed back into the party. 

This comes as yesterday it was revealed Labour has been inundated with 300 complaints of anti-Semitism since Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader in 2015.

The Labour frontman made the revelation in a far-reaching interview with Jewish News as he scrambled to try to diffuse the anti-Semitism which has plunged the party into crisis.

But he risked igniting fresh fury after he leapt to the defence of a controversial group which claims the accusations against him are a smear.

Mr Corbyn said Jewish Voice For Labour, which tried to disrupt Monday night’s protest against anti-Semitism outside Parliament by holding a counter demonstration, are ‘good people’.

He said: ‘JVL are committed to fighting anti-Semitism and making sure there is a Jewish voice in the party. We already have the Jewish Labour Movement. 

‘JVL was established last year and I think it is good that we have organisations within the party that are giving that voice to people. 

‘I’m not a member of that or JLM, but they’re good people, they are in the party because they love and believe in it.’

Labour MP John Woodcock considering quitting party over Corbyn

John Woodcock (pictured in Parliament this week) MP for Barrow and Furness, is contemplating quitting the Labour whip and spending the rest of his time in Parliament as an independent

John Woodcock (pictured in Parliament this week) MP for Barrow and Furness, is contemplating quitting the Labour whip and spending the rest of his time in Parliament as an independent

A leading Labour moderate is on the brink of quitting the party over Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to tackle anti-Semitism and his response to the Salisbury attack.

John Woodcock, MP for Barrow and Furness, is contemplating quitting the Labour whip and spending the rest of his time in Parliament as an independent.

Mr Woodcock is an arch Corbyn critic and has previously said that he could not back him as Prime Minister.

He is furious at the way Mr Corbyn has failed confront the anti-Semitism that has plunged Labour into crisis.

The Labour leader stands accused of not confronting the abuse and anti-Semitic tropes peddled by his supporters and in his name. 

Dozens of members of the group and its supporters attended the controversial protest, where they angrily argued with those attended the main demonstration.

They waved placards backing Mr Corbyn and claimed that criticisms levied at him over anti-Semitism were part of a plot to oust him as leader because of his views on Palestine.

And at one point they burst into a chorus of ‘ooooh Jeremy Corbyn’.

In a statement calling the demonstration they said: ‘Jeremy Corbyn is not an anti-Semite. 

‘Jeremy supports Palestinian rights and is campaigning for a socialist vision for Britain. The Board of deputies and the JLC oppose both of these.’

Mr Corbyn also revealed the sheer scale of the flood of complaints anti-Semitic abuse which have flooded into the Labour leadership since 2015.

He told Jewish News: Of the Labour Party cases, some of which I inherited on becoming leader, there’s been 300 references since 2015, 60 are still under investigation, 24 have gone to the National Constitutional Committee, 24, roughly, went to a final warning, and 150 were either expelled or resigned. 

‘That represents 0.02 percent of the party membership. There are other cases pending.’

The revelations came in a day of developments as the labour anti-Semitism scandal grew.

He is facing questions over why it took him four days to sack his hard-left disciplinary chief Christine Shawcroft after she defended a Holocaust denier.

She was forced out of her post after it emerged that she had e-mailed colleagues to demand the activist be let back into the party.

But Labour MPs are calling for her to be removed from the NEC and kicked out of the Labour Party – and warn that if she is not then Mr Corbyn will be seen as a ‘hypocrite’.

Meanwhile, the Labour leader sparked fresh fury by defending controversial protesters who besieged the demonstration against anti-Semitism on Monday as ‘good people’.

While his close ally John McDonnell was slammed for trying to shift the blame for the failure to tackle anti-Semitism on Labour’s outgoing General Secretary Iain McNicol.

Commenting on Ms Shawcroft, Labour MP John Mann told Mail Online: ‘She should be removed from the NEC immediately and expelled from the Labour Party…

‘If Jeremy Corbyn does not do this then he has demonstrated his inability to lead if he doesn’t sack her.’

But shadow chancellor Mr McDonnell toured the TV studios to defend Mr Corbyn’s handling of the case and say Ms Shawcroft should not be sacked form the NEC. 



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