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University distances itself from academic who promoted Rothschild conspiracies on David Icke show

Dr Alex Scott-Samuel was introduced as a senior University of Liverpool lecturer but institution says he is 'no longer employed' there

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The chair of the Liverpool Wavertree Labour Party - who promoted Rothschild conspiracy theories on a show broadcast by David Icke – no longer works at the University of Liverpool, the institution has rushed to clarify after he appeared on the programme in that capacity.

In a statement issued the day after the JC's story, a university spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Dr Alex Scott-Samuel is no longer employed by the University.”

The spokesman added Dr Scott-Samuel had left the university in December 2015 but still held an honorary position.

A webpage describing Dr Scott-Samuel as a senior lecturer in public health was hastily deleted after the JC made enquiries.

Dr Scott-Samuel, who is a member of the pro-Corbyn Jewish Voice For Labour group, made repeated appearances on a current affairs show broadcast by conspiracy theorist David Icke.

In one appearance on the Richie Allen Show in February 2017, Dr Scott-Samuel was introduced as a senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool.

He said on the programme: “The Rothschild family are behind a lot of the neo-liberal influence in the UK and the US. You only have to google them to look at this.

“Ever since they funded the Napoleonic Wars and made enormous profits from them just over 200 years ago they’ve had a quiet vested interest in the pursuit of free trade and neo-liberalism.”

Mr Allen - who has continued to invite Dr Scott-Samuel on his show since splitting from Mr Icke to air his shows on his own website - hosted notorious antisemite Gilad Atzmon last July, former KKK Grand Master David Duke in 2016 and self-described "Holocaust revionist" Alison Chabloz in 2018. 

Mr Icke, an infamous conspiracy theorist, has spoken of "the global conspiracy ‘Rothschild-Zionism, a secret society putting its agents in places of power’ – and listed Jewish people he says are part of the plot.

Dr Scott-Samuel was behind one of the two no confidence motions tabled at Ms Berger that were later withdrawn after they caused outrage.

Wavertree Constituency Labour Party members were forced to defend themselves against claims they were relentlessly attacking her.

In a statement on Sunday, Dr Scott-Samuel and Wavertree CLP secretary Nina Houghton defended their decision to approve the motions.

They said that Dr Scott-Samuel is "himself Jewish and the suggestion the CLP executive is in any way party to bullying and antisemitism is a slanderous accusation."

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