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Local Labour party chair suspended over ‘horrific’ meeting on Jew-hate is readmitted

The chair of Nottingham East CLP, Louise Regan, allowed a motion in support of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to be debated

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CARDIFF, WALES - APRIL 18: Louise Regan, president of the NUT listens as Kevin Courtney, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers makes his address to the annual NUT Conference in St David's Hall on April 18, 2017 in Cardiff, Wales. During his speech, the NUT's general secretary, said the NUT will 'break' primary assessment unless Sats are changed and also pledged to 'make school funding' the centre of the recently declared snap election campaign. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

The chair of Nottingham East Labour Party, who was suspended after she took part in an online meeting where the atmosphere became so hostile that a Jewish member said he felt he had to leave, said she has been readmitted to the party following an investigation.

Louise Regan, the CLP chair, face disciplinary action last November after allowing a motion in support of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to be debated at a meeting.

In November Steve Lapsley, 50, a local Jewish constituent, said he tried to raise concerns about the discussion, but Ms Regan did not stop it.

He said: “I have just left my CLP meeting after a man who abused me in front of witnesses was allowed to say without censure that he had never seen antisemitism in the party. The whole meeting is horrific.”

Multiple sources inside the meeting contacted the JC to confirm that the intimidating atmosphere. 

Local MP Nadia Whittome, previously a staunch supporter of Mr Corbyn, also intervened twice to condemn the decision to allow the motion to be heard.

Ms Regan, who is an active supporter of the Jewish Voice For Labour (JVL) group, wrote on Facebook that her suspension had been lifted. 

“I’m back” she wrote on May 26.

According to the Jewish News, two other local CLP sources confirmed they were told her suspension was dropped by Labour and that she had been elected to chair a forthcoming meeting.

It is understood that Nottingham East CLP has subsequently been contacted by Labour regional officers and told they cannot now stage meetings.

Commenting on Facebook post, Ms Regan, wrote: “Just to be clear threats won’t silence me.”

Her Facebook includes a shared article that claims peaceful coexistence between Israel and the Palestinians is a “myth”.

The Labour Party has been approached for comment

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