Revealed: the truth about antisemitism allegations against expelled Labour MP Chris Williamson
Published
by
Richard Kuper
JVL Introduction
The Canary publishes a new account of the campaign against Chris Williamson based on having seen an exclusive copy of Williamson’s own evidence challenging his suspension from the Labour Party in February 2019.
Williamson faced major allegations of antisemitism from a frenzied establishment media.
The Canary investigates the substance behind these allegations – and finds it isn’t there: “Williamson’s defence shows just how unjust the hunt against him always was.”
This article was originally published by the Canary on Sun 3 May 2020. Read the original here.
Revealed: the truth about antisemitism allegations against expelled Labour MP Chris Williamson
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A question arises again and again, when we see laid out these clear refutations of the accusations of anti-Semitism: Why did Jeremy Corbyn and others in the leadership not speak out against the accusations from the start? They cannot possibly have thought that their political opponents and unconditional supporters of Israel were simply going to go away.
Stitched up. And proved right.
Chris Williamson has been treated despicably, including from within the party.
I was aware that the prominent allegations were a cut and stitch of words out of context untruthfully represented as if evidence. That was very obvious.
Hilary Wise raises an important question, which I hope Jeremy will answer. I wonder if he was afraid of being accused of intervention in an investigative procedure – a favourite “heads-I-win-tails-you-lose” line of attack of the BoD and others. Did he think in this case, as in the Livingstone case, that the Left’s cause was best progressed by ditching anyone who wasn’t squeaky clean? Did he think that walking backwards was the best way of walking forwards?
As to the concerted campaign against Williamson, I’d like to extend the cast of characters (after all we all know about the Daily Mail and the BoD) and issues. On 1st July 2019, our old false-friend the Guardian published a piece by Northern Correspondent Nazia Parveen. The piece contained no facts and no events. What rag could print such threadbare gossip as if it were news. On the other hand, what choice did Ms Parveen have: there were no facts, there was no news. So the piece simply reported the opinions of three people who were critical of Williamson.
The first, one Steve Lapsley from Nottingham, accuses him of “appalling Jew-baiting”. Example? None given. So Ms Parveen helps out with noting that Williamson “faced complaints after booking a room in parliament to screen a film about Jackie Walker.” Is this the example of “appalling Jew-baiting”? The only interesting fact the article cites is that Lapsley is a member of JLM – missing is the fact that he is on the National Committee of Open Democracy.
The second, one Eve Sacker, claims Wiilliamson was not responsive to her concerns regarding anti-semitism. She, too, accuses him of Jew-baiting: “He knows that appearing with [Jackie] Walker will upset us.”
Meanwhile Mr Carr, a former mayor of Derby, the third interviewee, accuses Williamson of “rubbing people up the wrong way.” No accusations from Mr Carr about anti-semitism, just the heinous crime of “saying silly things.”
So what is “Jew-baiting”? I remember reading that Julius Streicher was a Jew-baiter, so I re-read Parveen’s article to get a clearer picture. “Jew-baiting” according to this journalist and to Williamson’s accusers is doing something that “upsets” Jews. On this basis the Guardian, Ms Parveen, Steve Lapsley, Eve Sacker and many more could be called “Jew baiters” because I’m Jewish and I’m very upset. What we have here is the use of a twisted, subjectivist, self-serving version of the “Macpherson principle” being used to defame and to throw filth at an opponent.
It seems under the Party’s “Member’s Pledge’, which rightly outlaws abusive behaviour, you can call a person a “Jew-baiter” because he stands in solidarity with a Jewish member who has been accused of anti-Semitism. Who needs Lewis Carroll when you’ve got Iain McNicol?
One further point: what procedural justice is there in a rule which dictates that an investigated person must remain silent while a national newspaper – not to mention another Party member like Steve Lapsley – can openly defame him?
A human being can only do so much. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnel had more than an Everest to climb – to change the widely accepted austerity dialogue, to build grassroots support and membership, to turn the party finances around, to improve Party democracy and processes. All the while fighting to keep their integrity strong against the media, the establishment, the state of Israel, the Tory brexit project, and the more hidden threats in the army and secret services. The internal battle, most likely ignited and kept going by ignorance and false rumours propogated by a variety of opponents, was the last straw. They are the traitors. We cannot continue to ask why didn’t Corbyn do this or do that. He was doing everything possible. I hope someone somewhere is writing a book about this.
someone really wanted to be rid of Chris. Now the recent release of the report has been seen it is pretty obvious there was corruption by admin. I am tired of fighting the Tories never mind people in the Labour party-I have resigned and would join Chris if he started a group up.
An excellent, detailed and comprehensive account. Shows again the depths plumbed by the anti-socialists.
Chris Williamson needs to apply for membership
We need him inside the tent as a potential challenger if Keir let’s us down
First get his application in and lets see what happens
I never once had any doubt about Corbyn or Williamson or even any member of the labour party being racist, we have a very sinister media in BRITAIN as clearly show in this report , which is far from being lawful, as most know the SUN, the DAILY MAIL, AND ALL OF THE TV NEWS CHANNELS reporting are bias and far right as shown in the last election , I only rely on one news channel now which is AL JAZEERA, DIRTY politics have used the Jewish people to defeat what would have been a great LABOUR GOVERNMENT ,brought about by far right jewish labour members such MARGARET HODGES, pouring out lies, which have now been proved .