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EXCLUSIVE: Momentum chief said abused ex-MP Luciana Berger was ‘disingenuous’ on Labour Jew-hate
Gaya Sriskanthan made the comment in a Facebook group in 2019
September 9, 2021 16:18
Gaya Sriskanthan made the comment in a Facebook group in 2019
September 9, 2021 16:18The co-chair of Momentum accused Jewish former MP Luciana Berger — who quit Labour after facing years of antisemitic abuse and death threats from pro-Corbyn activists — of being disingenuous in her account of Jew-hate in the party, the JC can reveal.
Screenshots of private Facebook posts from 2019 showed Gaya Sriskanthan making the comment in response to an interview in which Ms Berger revealed that six people had been convicted of antisemitic hate crimes and death threats against her.
A complaint has been submitted to Labour about Ms Sriskanthan’s remarks.
In her post, Ms Sriskanthan wrote: “She disingenuously conflates the increase in antisemitism across the country (and Europe) with the Labour Party.”
In the video interview, Ms Berger said about the abuse and death threats: “I feel very strongly that I have a responsibility as a parliamentarian to do everything possible to speak out about that.”
Ms Sriskanthan also appeared to deny the extent of antisemitism in Labour and suggested that the Independent Group — the party founded by Ms Berger and other MPs in response to the far-left leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and the fallout from Brexit — facilitated right-wing extremism.
Ms Sriskanthan was last year elected as co-chair of Momentum, the left-wing activist group set up to help get Mr Corbyn into government.
The comments allegedly appeared on the Labour International Left Alliance Facebook group in March 2019.
“Labour has nothing to do with the broader trend, which is in fact being driven by the rise of the far right.
“The best remedy for the far right and the racism that comes along with it, is a strong united left.
“Therefore the actions of the ‘Independent Group’ actually further right wing extremism,” Ms Sriskanthan said.
Another post left by Ms Sriskanthan on the group in June 2019 accused Corbyn critics of going into “hyper speed overdrive Corbyn-attack whenever the party is doing well” and states they would have been “happier if the Nazis (Farage) won.”
Ms Sriskanthan and Momentum did not return requests for comment.
A Labour spokesperson said the party “takes all complaints seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate action is taken.”