Spot the difference: Real anti-Semitism v fake allegations
See the image above? It is obviously anti-Semitic. But guess what? It wasn’t written by a member of the Labour Party, which yesterday considered a high-profile accusation against one of its members – it was tweeted by a Conservative candidate in next month’s council elections.
To the best of my knowledge, the Conservative Party is not taking any action against George C Stoakley – he can say what he likes as far as that organisation is concerned, although I understand Tory chairman and ‘Respect’ pledge advocate Brandon Lewis has been advised of his behaviour.
Other tweets suggest homophobia and deplorable attitudes towards the unemployed.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s National Constitutional Committee has been occupied with entirely fake allegations of anti-Semitism against activist Marc Wadsworth.
Mr Wadsworth came to public attention after Labour MP Ruth Smeeth smeared him with the anti-Semitism brush in a bitter exchange at the launch of the Chakrabarti report into racism within the party, back in 2016. She said he had used traditional anti-Semitic slurs to accuse her of being part of a media conspiracy.
Ms Smeeth’s allegations against him have been proved untrue.
As I reported in September 2016: “A Telegraph reporter had handed her a leaflet Marc Wadsworth had been distributing, allegedly (I haven’t seen it) accusing Labour MPs who had rebelled against Mr Corbyn of treachery, and asked her (we’re told) for a comment.
“Mr Wadsworth’s comment was: ‘I saw that the Telegraph handed a copy of a press release to Ruth Smeeth MP so you can see who is working hand in hand. If you look around this room, how many African Caribbean and Asian people are there? We need to get our house in order’.”
To This Writer, it seems clear he was pointing the finger at Labour MPs who would rather side with the Tory press against their own party than support its leader, Jeremy Corbyn – and the fact that Ms Smeeth used the incident to attack Mr Corbyn for allegedly standing back and doing nothing while the confrontation took place, prompting the press to lead on that, rather than the launch of the Chakrabarti Report, supports his claim.
Ms Smeeth deleted her statement about the matter from her website on or around February 24 this year.
But that didn’t stop her making a show of arriving to testify against Mr Wadsworth at his hearing before Labour’s NCC on April 25 – she arrived surrounded by like-minded Labour MPs and members.
Do these people support the use of lies to remove perfectly decent members from the Labour Party while dishonest and disreputable MPs remain in place? That is the message we are getting.
I wonder what the Jewish population of the UK think about this nonsense – from both Labour and the Conservatives. As a gentile, I think there is nothing good to be said about it.
The Conservative Party has not made any statement on Mr Stoakley; nor has Labour publicised any decision about Mr Wadsworth at the time of writing.
We await both with interest.
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The Tory Party is absolutely riddled with racial bigotry of all kinds. Any allegations against the Labour Party are a right-wing attempt to gain electoral advantage – they haven’t got anything else but false mud-slinging.
Smeeth should not be allowed anywhere near the Labour party,never mind be an MP.
According to Skwawkbox he has been suspended and is being investigated – it would appear largely due to their work.
I saw and followed what Mr Wadsworth said. Nothing anti semitic. He spotted and pointed out Ms Smeeth was being targetted used by right wing press Telegraph. As they do, ask a MP an apparently innocent question and their comment on an issue or piece and trap the person and misuse what they say. Or get them to ask a question showing up Jeremy Corbyn.
Nothing anti semitic, not even aware Ms Smeeth was Jewish. He also pointed out the lack of black and asians in the room and said about getting house in order. So everything legitimate. She was caught out, criticised felt embarrased and decided to call it anti semitic.
I am surprised it is still dragging on. Hope Mr Wadsworth is cleared. I would not give this lot and their inquisition space. I would walk off and show them my heel.
Racism and sexism is still raised at conferences of Labour socialists and LRC it is still incredibly relevant and the most base prejudices still exist. Not cooked up made up ones.
You’re misrepresenting what happened. He saw Ms Smeeth colluding with the Torygraph reporter – she could be relied upon to give an answer that was unsympathetic to the Left – and he called her out on it. You’re right that there was nothing anti-Semitic about what he said but she tried to claim that he was using an anti-Semitic trope – that of the Jewish media conspiracy – when all he was doing was pointing out her own personal behaviour.