Mick Hartley

Another self-inflicted Green debacle, from the JC:

The orator of Worcester has been removed from his official civic role after writing “f*** Israel” and resharing a post describing Labour members as “Zionist maggots”.

Giovanni Esposito, known as Spoz, was appointed to the unpaid ceremonial post following the local elections last month by the city’s new mayor, Green Party councillor Tor Pingree.

However, he was sacked after posts surfaced in which he referred to “IDF fascist scum”.

In one post, he claimed that “Israel have NEVER wanted a two-state solution, so helped Hamas into power so they could obliterate Gaza” and called for the Israeli government to be “execute[d]” for crimes against humanity.

In another post, he reshared a comment that said “Labour is a dead horse riddled with Zionist maggots hell-bent on spilling more blood and protecting their own interests”.

Responding to the controversy in the Worcester News, the Green mayor said: “I take antisemitism very seriously. I was not aware of these comments before I appointed Mr Esposito as my orator.

“In light of these comments, I have decided that it is not appropriate for him to continue as my orator. I will be appointing a new orator shortly.”

Of course the Green mayor takes antisemitism very seriously: they all do in the Greens. They’re very good at it. Meanwhile the issue of why an orator should be needed at all remains unaddressed.

Esposito is also the poet-in-residence at Birmingham City FC, has been repeatedly featured on the BBC and delivers poetry workshops in schools, advertising his availability for classes for children aged five to 16 in the Midlands.

Isn’t that nice?

A Jewish resident of Worcester, who wished to remain anonymous, told the JC that concerns remain about his work in schools.

“This poet who was got rid of by the mayor was a parliamentary candidate twice. He goes into schools. His publisher didn’t see the issue. The council have done nothing. There are no consequences, and we [Jews] don’t matter,” they said.