Antisemitism. Again and Again and Again.
We asked recently how long the Labour Party was going to be before it reported on the complaints of antisemitism against several of Newham’s Labour Group. No sooner had we published than this turned up.
Cllr S. (Suga) Thekkepura is a first-time councillor, one of the new ‘anti-Wales’ intake of 2018. He was elected as Chair of the Labour Group at the first AGM. He was succeeded in the post by another of the 2018 intake, Cllr Mushtaq Mughal who is also the subject of allegations of antisemitism.
Cllr Thekkepura shared some highly offensive cartoons with regard to Jews and Israel as well as aligning himself with the view that Jeremy Corbyn had nothing to apologise for in respect of the allegations of antisemitism within the Labour Party. He suggested instead that the antisemitism row was no more than an attempt to undermine Corbyn’s ‘socialist agenda’. He thought it acceptable to share the view that ‘Priti Patel’ was “hatched in Israel”.
We are waiting to see what the Labour Party does about this.
As yet, we do not know what the Labour Group Whip is going to do about it either. It seems evident that Chief Whip Cllr Islam has some reservations about the course of action taken by Keir Starmer on antisemitism.
There can be little doubt that Labour in Newham is in an existential crisis. It is difficult to determine what principles now hold the party together and just who it is they seek to represent. Is it anything more than a mechanism for ensuring that the same collection of people hold onto the same (well paid) jobs?
Five percent of the Labour Group have been cited for antisemitic postings, when you include those in senior positions who are said to have acquiesced with antisemitic posts, it gets very close to 10% of the Labour Group. We have no way of knowing how many of the cited councillors’ views are shared by their colleagues.
We suspect that this is not simply a case of a few bad apples. It is self-evident that the leadership of Newham Labour have seriously failed. There is nothing to suggest that they are taking the action necessary to remedy the situation. Perhaps that is the point, with both of the parties’ suspended, candidates for Mayor and councillors can all be imposed, saving the unpleasant business of having to justify their failures to the party selectorate.