Jeremy Corbyn ally quits as head of Labour disputes panel in Holocaust 'hoax' row
3 min read
A key ally of Jeremy Corbyn has been forced to quit as head of Labour's disputes panel after it emerged she wanted to overturn the suspension of a council candidate accused of denying the Holocaust.
Christine Shawcroft, who was only elected to the powerful post in January, defended Alan Bull in an email sent to senior colleagues on Sunday and subsequently leaked to The Times.
The latest controversy comes as Mr Corbyn struggles to contain the ongoing anti-Semitism surrounding the Labour party, which prompted a protest by leading Jewish groups outside Parliament on Monday.
Alan Bull was suspended by Labour after sharing an article on Facebook which claimed the Holocaust was a “hoax” - but insisted he reposted it to spark debate and did not agree with its content.
He was due to stand in Peterborough in the upcoming local elections in May.
In her email Ms Shawcroft, who is also a director of Momentum campaign, suggested the local Peterborough party wanted to damage Mr Bull for "political reasons" and that his post had been "taken completely out of context and alleged to show anti-Semitism".
She said: "I am concerned that party disciplinary procedures are being used in the pursuit of partisan disputes in local parties, wasting a great deal of staff time in the process...
"I think we should reinstate his membership and allow him to contest the ward for which he has been selected."
But in a statement last night Ms Shawcroft, who is also a member of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee, said: "I sent this email before being aware of the full information about this case and I had not been shown the image of his abhorrent Facebook post.
“Had I seen this image, I would not have requested that the decision to suspend him be re-considered. I am deeply sorry for having done so."
She added that in light of the demonstrations by Jewish groups against anti-Semitic abuse on Monday, “I have decided to stand down as chair of the disputes panel to ensure my wrong and misguided questions on this case do not cause doubt or anxiety about our processes".
Her resignation is a major blow for Mr Corbyn's wing of the party - including figures such as new general secretary Jennie Formby - who wholeheartedly supported her replacing Ann Black as head of the Labour disputes panel.
Jennifer Gerber, director of Labour Friends of Israel, said: "Christine Shawcroft should be suspended from the Labour party and kicked off the NEC. Those who defend Holocaust deniers should have no place in the Labour party.
"If Jeremy Corbyn is serious about his new zero tolerance approach to anti-Semitism he will deal with this as a matter of urgency."
Richard Angell of the centre-left Progress campaign group said: "Christine Shawcroft’s defence of a known Holocaust denier is disgusting. Resigning from the disputes panel is a sop. She is not fit to be a member of our party, let alone continue as a member of the NEC."
Jeremy Corbyn meanwhile has said asking him about anti-Semitism is not a "smear", after his supporters railed against Labour MPs who joined the protests.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
