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Haringey councillor requests CLP drop clause on zero-tolerance of antisemitism from motion on Jew-hate

Tottenham MP David Lammy ‘unequivocally’ rejected the amendment tabled in his constituency party

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A Haringey councillor has asked Tottenham Constituency Labour Party to drop a clause stating that the group should adopt "a zero-tolerance position" on antisemitism.

Noah Tucker's amendment to a motion on Jew-hate also proposed that the CLP should remove the claim that when antisemitism claims are not handled properly, it “leads to a perception of complacency and collusion with antisemitism that is not without foundation”.

Last year, Cllr Tucker said former "Jew-baiter" MP Chris Williamson had been punished by the party “for the crime of speaking of the truth” after the former MP said Labour had been “too apologetic” over antisemitism.

The amendment also said that the party’s disciplinary process should not be outsourced to an independent body – one of the Board of Deputies’ ten pledges for Labour leadership candidates.

It added that “it is not antisemitic… to describe Israel, its policies or the circumstances around its foundation as racist because of their discriminatory impact” or “to support a settlement other than a ‘2 state solution’ of the Israel-Palestine conflict”.

The constituency’s MP David Lammy hit out at the amendment. A spokesman from his office said: “David unequivocally rejects this amendment and stands by the Jewish Labour members who spoke out against it in the meeting.

“He believes that the broad sweep of Labour members in his constituency, who were not at the meeting, would also disagree with the amendment.”

Cllr Tucker had not responded to a request for comment as this article went live.

Cllr Tucker was Haringey council’s cabinet member for corporate services and insourcing until the position was removed in May last year.

He previously ran a far-left website called 21st Century Socialism with his brother Calvin Tucker (who is also vice chair of Enfield Southgate CLP and national campaigns manager of the Morning Star).

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