The Bradford Labour Party has been embroiled in an antisemitism row after it emerged that a shortlisted council candidate is responsible for a series of controversial social media posts about Jews and Hitler.
Nasreen Khan, a former member of George Galloway’s Respect Party, shared the antisemitic messages with her followers about five years ago, the Telegraph and Argus reports.
At the time she claimed that “Jews have reaped the rewards of playing victims” and that there were “worse people than Hitler in this world”.
It had been reported that Ms Khan – who is also known as Naz Khan – had passed background checks to be selected for a two-person shortlist for the Labour nomination in Bradford’s Little Horton ward.
A decision by the local Labour Party is expected on Friday.
In 2012, commenting under a video titled The Palestine you need to know, she said: “It’s such a shame that the history teachers in our school never taught us this but they are the first to start brainwashing us and our children into thinking the bad guy was Hitler. What have the Jews done good in this world??”
She later added: “The Jews have reaped the rewards of playing victims.”
When accused of being a Nazi, Ms Khan responded by saying she was “an ordinary British Muslim”, adding that there were “worse people than Hitler” in the world.
The Telegraph and Argus reported that Ms Khan acknowledged that her remarks were “inappropriate and unacceptable”.
In a statement given to the local newspaper, Ms Khan added: “I have travelled a long way since then and learned so much.
“I profoundly regret the comments I made in 2012 and any offence they caused.”
Simon Cooke, Bradford Council’s Conservative group leader, said: “The Labour Party really has got to het itself sorted out. These are just not the sort of views that are acceptable.”
Another figure in the Bradford Labour Party, Naz Shah, was reprimanded in early 2016 for similar posts attacking Jews.
After an apology, in which she described her comments as “hurtful and inexcusable” Ms Shah was reinstated to the Labour Party.
The Labour Party has been approached for comment.