Brighton’s Labour council chief threatens to scrap future conferences over anti-Semitism

A Labour council leader has threatened to stop the party holding future conferences in Brighton unless it gets a grip onanti-Semitism.

Warren Morgan, of Brighton and Hove Council, said he was very concerned at “the anti-Semitism being aired publicly in fringe meetings and on the floor of conference”.

In a letter to Labour Party general secretary Iain McNicol, Mr Morgan said: “As the Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, I will undoubtedly face questions as to why we allow any event where anti-Semitic views are freely expressed to happen in the city, particularly on council premises.

“As a Labour Party member, I expect the inquiry announced today to take firm action; as leader I will need reassurances that there will be no repeat of the behaviour and actions we have seen this week before any further bookings from the party are taken.”

The letter, which Mr Morgan posted on Facebook, added: “I must apply the same standards to Labour as I would to any other party conference or political event; whilst none of us can control what is said at meetings we do not run, I have to make the strongest possible representation on behalf of the residents of the city who are Jewish.

“We are a city of sanctuary and I have to speak up against any form of racism as and when it is given a platform in the city.”

The anti-Semitism issue dominated the day at the Labour conference.

Activists had been expected to vote through changes proposed proposed by the party’s National Executive Committee, which seek to change the conditions of membership to explicitly state, among other things, that “prejudicial” conduct includes anti-Semitism.

Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, who chaired a fringe event where allegedly anti-Semitic remarks were made on Monday, was applauded on Tuesday for saying the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) would have “a bit more credibility” if it “didn’t spend so much of its time running to the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph with stories”.

At a fringe event later on Tuesday, JLM chairman Jeremy Newmark said her remarks accusing Jews of colluding with the right-wing media amounted to anti-Semitism.