County council leader calls for former High Peak MP Ruth George’s suspension from Labour

It comes after the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) wrote to Labour Party leader Keir Starmer claiming Ruth’s statements and actions during a number of public rows over controversial anti-Jewish social media comments last year amounted to ‘antisemitic discourse’.

During one incident in February 2019 Ruth – now a Whaley Bridge county councillor – appeared to support the conspiracy theory that an independent group of MPs who split from Labour at that time were backed by Israel.

At the time of the MPs’ departures it emerged they had registered as a private company, not a political party - prompting speculation about their financial backers.

Ruth’s comments came about when High Peak councillor Nick Longos ‘loved’ another person’s Facebook comment which said ‘Israelis’ on a post featuring a picture of The Independent Group of MPs.

She wrote how ‘support from the State of Israel’ was ‘possible’ and she ‘would not condemn those who suggest it’ – adding it was ‘important for democracy to know the financial backers for any political group or policy’.

However she later apologised, saying: “I am deeply sorry that my ill-thought out and poorly worded comment did this - I withdraw it completely.”

In their letter to Mr Starmer the CAA claim Ruth’s comments were essentially ‘mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations’ – supporting conspiracy theories about Jews ‘controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions’.

The campaign group also say on a separate occasion Ruth enabled ‘the dissemination of antisemitic discourse in the Labour Party’.

This refers to a 2016 Facebook post by High Peak Councillor Rachel Abbotts - who was elected in May 2019 after sharing an article three years previously claiming Jews ‘declared war’ on Nazi Germany in 1933.

When news of the post emerged Ruth said she had passed a complaint about the posts to the local and national party for investigation.

However the Labour Party’s complaints unit claimed to have no record of the complaint.

In their letter to Labour leader Keir Starmer the CAA wrote that ‘by claiming that she had reported evidence of the dissemination of antisemitic discourse by Rachel Abbotts...when she reportedly had not done so’ and ‘allowing her by default to be promoted to the position of councillor Ms George may have been enabling the dissemination of antisemitic discourse in the Labour Party’.

Following the CAA letter Derbyshire County Council leader Barry Lewis has written an open letter calling on Paul Smith, leader of the county council Labour Group, to suspend Ruth.

However the East Midlands Labour Party have since confirmed no action is being taken against her.

The CAA letter comes after an investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) found the Labour Party guilty of "unlawful" harassment and discrimination against Jewish people.

Ruth said: “The EHRC report makes sad reading for anyone in the Labour Party and, as I said at the time of its release, I apologise with the party to those who suffered antisemitism.

“The EHRC report highlighted improper interference and commentary on complaints of anti-Semitism as part of the problem and it would therefore not be appropriate to provide specific comment on previous investigations.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.