Camden Momentum urges party to end ‘witch-hunt’ against Chris Williamson
The left-wing group defended controversial Derby North MP and called for his reinstatement in an open letter
Camden Momentum has urged Labour to reinstate suspended MP Chris Williamson in an open letter published in a local paper.
Williamson was suspended from the party last week, after a video emerged of the Derby North politician telling Momentum activists the party had been “too apologetic” over antisemitism.
In the same week, Jewish News also revealed Williamson had booked a room in Parliament for a screening of suspended activist Jackie Walker’s documentary film WitchHunt.
Camden Momentum’s open letter, published in Camden New Journal, describes the suspension of Williamson as a “clear and unprecedented escalation in the campaign of vilification and smears against Labour’s leadership and left-wing members.”
It also defends Williamson’s words on Labour’s tackling of complaints of antisemitism, adding: “Nothing about that speech deserves the suspension of the Labour whip, let alone suspension from the party.”
It goes on to describe the various condemnations made of the proposed screening of WitchHunt in Parliament as the “latest ratcheting up of the smear campaign”.
It adds: “None of those MPs and others who complained against the screening can yet have seen the film, and yet they are willing to censor it.”
The letter also calls on Momentum’s national co-ordinating group to release a statement, arguing for Williamson’s reinstatement.
“If it is not yet clear to Momentum’s leadership (and associated “left” commentators) that the attacks on Chris Williamson are part of a long-running and co-ordinated attempt to undermine Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party, then we fear it never will be,” it reads.
“We simply say: more weight.”
Momentum was approached for comment but did not immediately respond.
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