closeicon
News

Ukip expels senior official over 'antisemitic abuse' at Christmas party

articlemain

Ukip’s London chairman has been kicked out of the party after he allegedly shouted antisemitic slurs at a fellow member, the JC can reveal.

John Hellings is understood to have called one-time parliamentary candidate Nigel Sussman a “north London Jewish c***” at a Ukip Christmas party last December.

Mr Sussman, Ukip’s chairman for Enfield and Haringey, reported 56-year-old Mr Hellings to the party after the incident took place at the Civil Service Club in London.

After an investigation, Ukip formally expelled Mr Hellings last week.

Party leader Nigel Farage said: “The party has strict rules governing this sort of thing. I am satisfied that our processes work.”

Mr Sussman, who said he was pleased that the party had acted swiftly, claimed he only met Mr Hellings twice, for less than a minute each time.

Recalling the incident, which took place on December 17, he said: “As I walked into the bar at the end of the evening, [Mr Hellings] shouted out: ‘F*** you, you north London Jewish c***’.

“There were about 10 people in the room at the time, including a civil servant, so we had an external witness to the whole event.

“A few people bundled [Mr Hellings] out of the bar, and that was it. I put in a complaint. The party more or less immediately suspended him. It went through the internal complaints process and he has now been expelled.”

Mr Sussman added: “It is what I expected to happen.

“It shows that Ukip is not a racist party – unlike Labour, who have not acted against all the antisemitism that has gone on in their party.

“I had faith that the party leadership would do the right thing and they did. This is totally not what the rest of Ukip are like.”

Mr Sussman, who attends Barnet United Synagogue, stood as Ukip’s parliamentary candidate for Westminster North in the 2015 general election.

Mr Hellings did not respond to a request for comment.

Share via

Want more from the JC?

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

Want more from
the JC?

To continue reading, we just
need a few details...

Get the best news and views from across the Jewish world Get subscriber-only offers from our partners Subscribe to get access to our e-paper and archive