Labour has been threatened with a ban on holding future conferences in Brighton unless it tackles anti-Semitism.
Brighton and Hove’s Labour council leader Warren Morgan said he was very concerned at “the anti-Semitism being aired publicly in fringe meetings and on the floor of conference”.
In a letter to Labour Party general secretary Iain McNicol, Mr Morgan said: “As the Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, I will undoubtedly face questions as to why we allow any event where anti-Semitic views are freely expressed to happen in the city, particularly on council premises.
“As a Labour Party member, I expect the inquiry announced today to take firm action; as leader I will need reassurances that there will be no repeat of the behaviour and actions we have seen this week before any further bookings from the party are taken.”
The letter, which Mr Morgan posted on Facebook, added: “I must apply the same standards to Labour as I would to any other party conference or political event; whilst none of us can control what is said at meetings we do not run, I have to make the strongest possible representation on behalf of the residents of the city who are Jewish.
“We are a city of sanctuary and I have to speak up against any form of racism as and when it is given a platform in the city.”
Thank you Councillor @warrenmorgan for the brave and principled stance you are willing to take on behalf of this community. Your support is greatly appreciated…. pic.twitter.com/KkA0cCgBaM
— SussexFriendsIsrael (@SussexFriends) September 27, 2017
Accusations of anti-Semitism came back to haunt the Labour Party after a fringe meeting appeared to compare the government in Israel to Nazi Germany. The session on Monday also featured activists calling for the Jewish Labour Movement and Labour Friends of Israel to be “kicked out” of Labour.
The chair of the Jewish Labour Movement said Jeremy Corbyn should be “acutely embarrassed” by the row, while the party was told to “do more to establish that it is not a racist party” by Britain’s equality watchdog.
Party members backed a move to toughen Labour’s regulations on “incidents involving racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or otherwise racist language, sentiments, stereotypes or actions” in a conference vote on Tuesday.
Source: SkyNews / CUFI