Chris Williamson condemned for being character witness for activist accused of anti-Semitism
2 min read
A Labour MP has been condemned after it emerged he has agreed to be a character witness for a party activist accused of anti-Semitism.
Chris Williamson's decision comes amid controversy over his planned appearance next week on a platform with Jackie Walker, who is also facing claims of stirring up anti-Jewish feeling.
Mr Williamson - a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn - is due to give evidence at the disciplinary hearing of Marc Wadsworth, who is accused of verbally abusing Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth.
Ms Smeeth was flanked by around 50 colleagues as she arrived at the meeting of Labour's National Constitution Committee in London this morning.
But it also emerged that Derby North MP Mr Williamson was there supporting Mr Wadsworth, who is a member of the Momentum Black Connexions group.
He has been suspended from the Labour party since the alleged incident involving Ms Smeeth, which took place at the launch of Shami Chakrabarti's report into anti-Semitism nearly two years ago.
One Labour MP said: "Chris Williamson should be following Wadsworth out of the party - so he will probably be in the Shadow Cabinet by Christmas."
Earlier, Shadow International Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner said Mr Williamson was "wrong" to appear alongside Jackie Walker. She has been suspended by Labour since she claimed "the Jews were the chief financiers of the slave trade".
He said: "One in this country is still innocent until proven guilty. It's right that when somebody has been found guilty nobody should share a platform. My own view, my personal view, is that Chris is wrong to share a platform with somebody who has expressed the views that she has."
The latest row comes in the wake of a meeting between Mr Corbyn and Jewish leaders last night.
In a statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council said the talks were "a missed opportunity" and accused the Labour leader of failing to act on their calls for a crackdown on anti-Semitism in his party.
But a Labour source said: "There were lots of areas of agreement."
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