If this wasn’t so deliberately disingenuous it would be absolutely hilarious. It’s still funny, but tinged with the malevolence that accompanies all right-wing Labour MPs claims of anti-Semitism in others.
You may be aware of the slang term “gammon” – used to describe (according to the Wikipedia page on the subject) “older white men, especially those who are particularly patriotic or supported Brexit, who appear pink-faced when emotional. The term is a comparison of their skin colour to the pink of salted pork hind leg, i.e. gammon.”
The term came into common usage after 2012, although its use can be traced back to Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby, in 1838.
The Wikipedia page even carried a photograph of Labour MP Mike Gapes, listing him as “an example of prime gammon“, until it was edited off on August 27.
This may be the reason:
Calling Mike Gapes a gammon is antisemitic now, apparently. 🤨🤔 https://t.co/bcDeXi0tzh
— Evolve Politics (@evolvepolitics) August 27, 2018
You may be aware of rumours that Mr Gapes has been set to resign from the Labour Party in response to the latest wave of (false) anti-Semitism accusations against Jeremy Corbyn.
As Mr Gapes is a member of Labour Friends of Israel, the organisation that was famously offered £1 million by Israeli government conspirator Shai Masot to remove Mr Corbyn from his position as Labour leader, this is unsurprising.
It attracted a tweet by “Damian from Brighton” to Mr Gapes, linking these two threads as follows: “Your departure from Labour is completely understandable. You are a supporter of an organisation associated with an apartheid state so it isn’t tenable for you to remain in the party.”
He added: “Could you confirm your leaving date? I will be holding a gammon supper to celebrate.”
Enter Chris Bryant, Labour MP for the Rhondda, who is not a supporter of LFI but seems to be a supporter of Mr Gapes:
If this person is a Labour member he should be thrown out for deliberately offensive anti-Semitism https://t.co/NS5BerzBzj
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) August 26, 2018
Twitter did a collective double-take – and then piled on on Mr Bryant like a pack of hungry wolves.
Here’s part of the conversation. Note the number of different contributors:
A "gammon supper" isn't anti-semitic?
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) August 26, 2018
Explain to me… isn't it a reference to Jews not eating pork?
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) August 27, 2018
I don't think so. At best he used an ambiguous term but I think he was being deliberately offensive
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) August 27, 2018
I'm misunderstanding the term "gammon supper " in the context of a conversation about anti-Semitism?
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) August 27, 2018
I'm aware of the term. But it was at very best an unfortunately ambiguous term but I think he was being deliberately offensive.
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) August 27, 2018
He knows the common meaning of the word is pork meat. If it was a joke then it was an offensive one.
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) August 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/matteoj17/status/1034151964718841856
At this point, Damin from Brighton re-enters the narrative, with a tweet to the Labour Party Whips’ Office, party general secretary Jennie Formby, and the party’s general purpose Twitter feed:
.@labourwhips @JennieGenSec @UKLabour
Please note the malevolently defamatory and libellous accusation posted at 7.52pm last night by the Labour MP, Chris Bryant.I requested he immediately delete his libellous statement. He has failed to do so.
Please take action. https://t.co/wDCSG0gXny
— Damian from Brighton (@damian_from) August 27, 2018
He was absolutely right to do so. At best, Mr Bryant was being wilfully ignorant; at worst, he was deliberately (and lamely) trying to create another false accusation of anti-Semitism.
Mr Bryant failed to retract his statement, so Damian decided to take matters further:
I am making a formal complaint and taking legal advice regarding Mr Bryant’s malicious defamatory tweet.
If anyone else would like to contact the party about this disgraceful, libellous and unfounded attack upon a party member your solidarity would be appreciated.
— Damian from Brighton (@damian_from) August 27, 2018
Anyone wishing to support him can email [email protected]
During this time, Evolve Politics (who brought my attention to this issue via the tweet at the top of this article) published a piece about the row, it’s well worth reading and contained a tweet from Mr Gapes:
I block antisemites. So It might be best if you crawl back into your antisemitic sewer, and then perhaps you might hold your breath while you are waiting for it to happen. Goodbye https://t.co/s8dMU8JUDS
— Mike Gapes (@MikeGapes) August 26, 2018
One can only imagine he thought he could bully Damian off.
Not so:
.@labourwhips @JennieGenSec @MikeGapes
As a result of reading the article below, it has come to my attention I have been maliciously libelled by Mr Gapes. I was already aware that Mr Bryant has malevolently libelled me.
Please instruct both to delete the libellous tweets. https://t.co/5KpBSwPYWB
— Damian from Brighton (@damian_from) August 27, 2018
This is what happens when people in authority abuse their position.
Both Mr Gapes and Mr Bryant are now facing the possibility of punishment for their attempts to bully, browbeat and otherwise batter a person who was expressing a perfectly acceptable opinion.
They thought the public would lie down and quietly accept that they knew best.
But the public has had enough of the false accusations and its members are determined to have their say.
We have the facts, we have the arguments and – by the way – we have the numbers.
Visit our JustGiving page to help Vox Political’s Mike Sivier fight anti-Semitism libels in court
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here: