The row over Michal Kaminski’s alliance with the Conservatives has spread to Manchester, where Labour’s Bury South MP Ivan Lewis has called on his Tory election opponent to condemn the partnership.
Middle East minister Mr Lewis wrote to Michelle Wiseman, the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for the constituency, saying she had “a duty to act” against Mr Kaminski and his colleague Roberts Zile of the Latvian Fatherland and Freedom Party. Mr Lewis attacked David Cameron’s decision to form the alliance and said Ms Wiseman should object in the name of people such as Mr Lewis’ grandfather, who was killed fighting for Britain in the Second World War.
In his letter he wrote: “As you know, many of my constituents bravely fought fascism in the British forces during the last war, some survived the horrors of the Holocaust and others are family members of survivors.
“In their name I urge you to condemn this invitation and call on David Cameron to break off these links with extremist right-wing parties.”
But Ms Wiseman attended the Conservative Friends of Israel lunch with Mr Kaminski during last week’s party conference in Manchester.
She said she would not be responding to her opponent in writing. “I think the letter was just mischief-making by Ivan really. There is no proof of the allegations Ivan is making against Mr Kaminski.
“Mr Kaminski was a guest at the CFI lunch and they would not endorse him if he was not a person on Israel’s side. Ivan needs to come up with some hard evidence.”