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A candidate in the Labour national executive committee (NEC) by-elections has been suspended from the party over alleged anti-semitism.
Graham Durham, of Brent CLP, was suspended over his criticism of Labour leadership candidate Rebecca Long Bailey at a meeting in January.
The Jewish Chronicle reported that he had said: “She has been cuddling up to the Jewish Labour Movement and the Chief Rabbi, a well-known Tory. We should not be allowing that.”
Mr Durham told LabourList today that the report was “inaccurate” and that most of the 150 people at the meeting “applauded the points I made in critical support of Rebecca Long Bailey.”
Before he was suspended, he tweeted on Sunday: “I am not to my knowledge suspended but, whilst anti-racist to my core, I did call the Chief Rabbi a Tory [...] are facts illegal now?”
His suspension follows Birkenhead councillor Jo Bird, the only Jewish candidate standing for the NEC, being reinstated after being suspended for the second time in less than a year.
Her CLP nominations, of which she has at least 110, are considered valid.
Mr Durham surpassed the threshold of five CLP nominations, but will not be on the ballot from February 24 if still suspended.
