Mick Hartley

So…the Labour Party's determination to root out antisemitism…how's it going?

From the JC:

Jeremy Corbyn is facing claims of a stitch-up over the selection of candidates to fight the next election after the Momentum group endorsed a candidate for the Poplar and Limehouse seat in East London who has been investigated over antisemitism allegations.

Apsana Begum, who has been endorsed by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, sparked anger earlier this year after it emerged she had accused Tony Blair of spreading “Zionist propaganda” and shared a shared media post claiming Saudi Arabia’s leaders were “inspired by Zionist masters”.

She was also revealed to have circulated material by political activist Ken O’Keefe, who has faced accusations of antisemitism and of being a 9/11 conspiracy theorist in the past.

On Wednesday, Labour sources confirmed that Ms Begum, who once worked for Tower Hamlet’s disgraced mayor Lutfur Rahman, had been the subject of an investigation into her social media posts. 

It is understood Ms Begum faced no sanctions following Labour’s investigation….

Local party sources say it is now “a certainty” that Ms Begum’s name will be placed on the short-list of candidates after she received the endorsement of the pro-Corbyn Momentum group, with which she holds a senior position.

But the moves have left local members fuming, with the popular Rachel Blake, a Tower Hamlets councillor and deputy mayor for planning and air quality, excluded from the long-list.

The most strongly anti-Corbyn candidate, Suzy Stride, is also expected to be knocked off of the short-list by party officials, as is Asman Begun, another popular Bengali activist but who is not seen as being as pro-Corbyn.

One local insider said: “It’s all being tied up for Apsana.”

As a response to the Louise Ellman debacle, this could hardly be more eloquent.