Jo Bird: Bigoted witch-hunters are conducting a hate campaign to sabotage her chances of being a Labour Parliamentary candidate – but the facts are against them.
Appointing a Jewish person to replace Louise Ellman as Labour’s candidate to represent Liverpool Riverside in the next general election might seem the most natural thing in the world.
Ms Ellman quit the party acrimoniously ahead of a re-selection trigger vote that she seemed certain to lose, after she accused members of her local party of anti-Semitism. When she quit, she threw a few more un-evidenced anti-Semitism accusations at party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
So it would seem good politics to nominate another Jewish party member to replace her – if only to show that the party is not institutionally anti-Semitic, or whatever today’s buzz-phrase from the witch-hunters happens to be.
Apparently not.
The favoured choice, you see, is Jo Bird – and she’s not the kind of Jewish Labour member the witch-hunters would ever approve.
For a start, she’s pro-Palestine.
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that her party membership was suspended earlier this year on a trumped-up charge. Now the witch-hunters and bigots are trying to influence Labour against selecting her on the basis of this false claim…
… and Twitter is giving them exactly what they deserve.
The most inflammatory salvo against Ms Bird came from Karen Pollock who, as chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, should know better. Note from her tweet that she was referring to an article in the Jewish Chronicle, which has been instrumental in stirring up hatred against innocent people in the past.
The paper libelled This Writer in 2018 and was forced to publish a grudging correction after I took the matter to press regulator IPSO.
Note also that she omitted the fact that Ms Bird is Jewish.
Here’s Ms Pollock’s astonishingly ill-advised tweet:
I cannot describe how distressing it is to read this. Someone previously suspended for antisemitism being considered to replace @LouiseEllman in Liverpool. I really hope this does not happen. Such an insult. So appalling. No words are enough. https://t.co/9hAj4GARLe
— Karen Pollock (@KarenPollock100) October 20, 2019
The hypocrisy of the claim – especially as fuelled by the Jewish Chronicle, is clear:
— simon maginn (@simonmaginn) October 20, 2019
Oh, and Ms Bird herself has made a video explaining the circumstances of her suspension:
I'd really hope @KarenPollock100 would have the integrity to apologise for her rather foolish statements in regard to this matter.
— andy peacock (@AndyPeacock999) October 20, 2019
The conclusion is clear: if there is any anti-Semitism going on here, it is being perpetrated by the Jewish Chronicle, Ms Pollock, and anyone else who wants to attack Ms Bird:
BTW – my ancestry is partly Russian, and I often accuse myself of "Russian about" – it's a pun and not a Russophobic remark!
— Sasha Clarkson #EarthlingInternationalist (@SashaClarkson) October 21, 2019
Well said Tracie.
— Linda Scott 🖐 (@lindas1954) October 21, 2019
This is a disturbing comment from Karen, especially given her position
She's calling a Jewish woman antisemitic
I'm not sure of the argument going on in different Jewish communities, but this is truely bizarre and awful rhetoric https://t.co/q7pdraaswA— Carole-Anne Collins (@MsCCollins1) October 21, 2019
The Only Antisemitic person in this tweet is you Karen..
— Ian and Sparky. स्पार्की. (@anders_ian) October 21, 2019
Well said, Ian and Sparky.
This Site wishes Ms Bird success in her campaign to replace Louise Ellman. It seems to me that it would be a huge step forward in the fight against racism and anti-Semitism.
EXTRA: I note that Rachel Riley is on the record as having attacked Ms Bird over the words that triggered her suspension. I wonder if Ms Riley had the courage – and the honesty – to apologise for the mistake after the councillor was exonerated?
Ms Riley is currently suing me for libel – another trumped-up charge. Details of how to support my fight against her lawsuit are below.
Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.
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