A newly selected Labour candidate will no longer be standing in next year’s council elections after the leader of the council condemned an “anti-semitic” letter he wrote to fellow members.
Council leader Daniel Yates asked the local Labour party to reconsider its selection of Jerry Gould, one of three candidates selected to contest Patcham for Labour next May, after he compared the Labour party’s “supine” adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-semitism to BNP policy.
Mr Gould also said he thought Israel was “a racist endeavour” and accused the state of systematic genocide against the indigenous population.
The letter was written at the height of the anti-semitism row which has dogged the party over the summer, just after the party backed down to protests at what many Jewish bodies described as the “watering down” of the IHRA definition.
One of the most contested changes was not including describing Israel as racist as one of the examples of anti-semitism, a decision which was reversed on August 4.
Council leader Daniel Yates said: “As Leader of the Labour and Cooperative Group of Councillors I want to make clear that the statement circulated by this individual who is not a councillor, is deeply offensive and unacceptable.
“If they were a councillor I would be immediately supporting the withdrawal of the whip and their suspension by the party.
“However as they are not a councillor we have referred this matter to the Chair of their Constituency Party and the Chair of the Local Campaigns Forum which is responsible for the list of candidates. I hope and expect that swift action will be taken for these openly anti-semitic and divisive comments.
“There is no place in Brighton and Hove or indeed in political discourse for hate speech in any form and all examples must be addressed swiftly.
“I can appreciate the anger, distress and offence that these comments and views will undoubtedly have caused within the community, and we completely and unreservedly wish to disassociate ourselves from this individual and his actions.”
Mr Gould was selected on August 2 alongside Janet Smith and Adam Scott. Cllr Yates then tweeted his endorsement for all three, adding: “Remember those names.”
Great to see another three strong labour candidates for patcham. Nobody better placed to make sure patchams voice is better heard. Janet Smith. Jerry Gould. Adam Scott. Remember those names. @bhlabour #2019 pic.twitter.com/AkExOFITsv
— Daniel Yates (@danieljyates) August 2, 2018
Mr Gould was not available for comment.
Jon Rogers, who chairs both the Brighton Pavilion Constituency Labour Party and the city’s campaign forum, which coordinates the selection of candidates, said he was no longer a candidate.
Meanwhile, the party is now looking for more people willing to stand as candidates next year, with women in particular encouraged to come forward.
The selections which had already taken place over the summer had been hotly contested, with three sitting councillors – Adrian Morris and Dan Chapman in Queen’s Park and Anne Meadows in Moulsecoomb – “deselected” by members who instead selected other candidates.
One of those selected, Claire Wadey in Withdean, has since withdrawn her candidacy. And the party has yet to select candidates for Regency, St Peter’s and North Laine, and Hove Park.
Mr Rogers said: “We had a lot of people come forward and we wanted to ensure that we stand a good slate of candidates, with at least one woman in every ward.
“We were so successful in safe and marginal seats, like East Brighton and Hanover and Elm Grove, where we have three female candidates.”
Jerry Gould’s full statement
I have been reflecting on my position within the party since the supine acceptance of the IHRA draft by the NEC as Labour Party policy.
I have no doubt the modern state of Israel is a racist endeavour in the same way and for the same reasons as the USA and Australia. These are:
1. The theft of land from the indigenous population
2. the refusal to recognise equal rights in law for the indigenous population
3. the dehumanising and systematic genocide against the indigenous population
I also understand the IHRA draft stated that questioning the right for the modern state of Israel to exist is also anti-Semitic. In this I feel I’m in good company as I know the Messianic Hasidim challenge Israel’s right to exist because the Messiah didn’t lead them there and to be thought anti-Semitic alongside the most observant Jews on the planet is a comfort.
For these reasons I will at no time Kao Tao to this policy. Many friends of mine have said this is a small change to unite the party. My reply is; I have read the 1994 constitution of the British National Party, in that there is only one clause with which I disagree (all the others being good Old Labour principles) and that is “for the indigenous white population” – such a small change to Labour values?
After a day’s reflection I have concluded as a life long Trades Unionist I will do all I can to enact my principles so I will not resign from the Party or as your candidate. However, I think the Patcham LP committee should be made aware of this to be sure they want me as a candidate.
How is it even possible that this is even controversial??
Israel just passed a Jewish supremacy law in Israel, enshrining their racist policies that have been operant for decades. They do not hide their racism in any way shape or form. Israeli politicians routinely make disgusting genocidal statements, and they are backed by actions on the ground of the most psychologically vicious kind. Many reporters have went to Israel to interview ordinary Israelis, and the average Israeli is seething with hate, they are openly racist and proud of it, and many are openly in favor of genocide. They are also openly right wing extremists that constantly target and attack all voices of reason, and they consider left wing Israelis as traitors. The only people trying to hide and abet them is non-Israeli western media that trembling in their frocks at the basic idea of reporting the most obvious facts on the ground that are not hidden in any way shape or form.
Israel is by any credible definition, including its very own definition, a racist endeavour! A state that defines its very identity as being for one race/religion over all others can only be classed as racist. It is also apartheid in very much the same way that South Africa was. The indigenous population are subjected to intolerable and inhumane conditions by the colonial oppressors who have congregated from around the world. It was never racist or “anti-White” to call out the injustice of apartheid South Africa. In the same way it is not anti Semitic to oppose the vile injustices that have been meted out on the rightful owners of this land. Shame on those in the Labour Party who do not have the moral fortitude and backbone to stand up for justice for fear that they may be classed as ‘anti-Semitic’ by the Zionist Israel lobby!
Unbelievable! The man is talking facts whilst the rest of the Labour party are silent which is just as bad as agreeing with the racist regime of the Israeli government. When we are silent we are complicit. Innocent men, women and children are being murdered, on our watch! Time for the Labour Party to stop this nonsense
Einstein said ‘only two things are infinite, the universe & human stupidy’.
Jerry Gould & his nasty party embodies the latter to the full
If you can look beyond the minor matter of the top two Labour peeps associating with & honouring numerous terrorists, hard left takeover of the Labour Party, ongoing endemic antisemitism, fantasy economic policy, CND man in charge of the nuclear deterrent, the shadow chancellor wanting to bring down capitalism, Diane Abbott running the Home Office, a leader who is clearly not up to the job, numerous moderate MP’s under threat or deselection, splits, infighting etc … then they look like a party that I would vote for …
If anyone has said anything offensive it is Daniel Yates, leader for the time being of the Labour group.
Nothing Jerry Gould said was in the least offensive. Israel is a racist, apartheid state. In every single sphere of life Arab citizens of Israel are subject to horrendous discrimination. Residential, education, employment etc.
If Daniel Yates thinks there is anything wrong in what Jerry said then he is a tawdry apologist for racism
Why would anyone listen to you? You are a racist who has been expelled from the Labour party.
oh probably because you are a liar – twice over.
I was expelled for ‘abuse’ of racists like you not for racism. Secondly because as a long standing Jewish anti-Zionist and anti-fascist I know what I’m talking about when I say Israel is a racist state and Zionism is racist. I note that this troll has nothing to actually say other than to engage in ad hominems!