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JVL official readmitted to Labour with ‘slap on the wrist’
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi issued with a 'reminder of conduct' note
September 2, 2021 11:50
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi issued with a 'reminder of conduct' note
September 2, 2021 11:50A senior officer for Jewish Voice for Labour who was suspended from the party for alleged antisemitism-related infringements has been readmitted to the party with just a “slap on the wrist”.
Campaigners condemned the decision to readmit Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi with a ‘reminder of conduct’ note.
Ms Wimborne-Idrissi, who is vice chair of Chingford and Woodford Green CLP and the media officer for JVL, was suspended and investigated after she backed claims at an online branch meeting about the “weaponisation” of antisemitism allegations within Labour. She then challenged party members who said they were uncomfortable with the comments.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “To give one of [JVL’s] leaders a mere ‘reminder of conduct’ letter is a slap on the wrist and entirely the wrong message to send to a faction that has no place within the Labour Party”.
Labour Against Antisemitism also criticised the decision by an NEC panel, calling it a “troubling failure”.
In a response on Facebook, Ms Wimborne-Idrissi said: “I cannot accept the party’s judgement ‘that you had engaged in conduct that may reasonably be seen to demonstrate hostility or prejudice based on race, religion or belief...
“It’s pretty clear that the panel gave no consideration to the detailed arguments presented by my solicitor.”
The row over Sir Keir Starmer’s attempts to make good on his ‘zero tolerance’ pledge on antisemitism threatens to overshadow the Labour conference in Brighton later this month.
Former Brighton City Council leader Warren Morgan said there were plans to hand out leaflets at the conference which refer to an “antisemitism smearing industry” — and several Labour MPs have agreed to join Jeremy Corbyn and Ken Loach at an “alternative” event during the Labour conference.
However, there were fresh signs that Labour’s frontbench was preparing to harden its fight against the hard left.
It emerged yesterday that Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy had suggested Labour might join the government in standing against the UN Human Rights Council’s consistent singling out of Israel for criticism.