Suspended former Labour council candidate abused JN reporter
Neil Aldridge came to the attention of Jewish News after he suggested doing some “digging around” about Rachel Riley's criticism of the party.
A former Labour council candidate accused of intimidating a Jewish News reporter has been suspended from the party pending an investigation, it is understood.
Neil Aldridge, a former council candidate in South West Norfolk, contacted Jewish News reporter Mathilde Frot on two occasions over a story she was pursuing about his social media activity.
Aldridge came to the attention of Jewish News after he suggested doing some “digging around” about the Jewish Channel 4 presenter Rachel Riley on Twitter after she criticised Labour over its response to antisemitism.
Frot says she received an intimidating phone call from Aldridge in February on her mobile after she contacted Aldridge’s Labour group about his social media activity.
One month later, Aldridge contacted Frot on her office landline and insulted her, suggesting the story was politically motivated.
Tim Pilsbury, chair of South West Norfolk Labour Party defended Aldridge, saying: “Neil gave me a detailed explanation and I can see no evidence of racism [in his remarks about Rachel Riley] whatsoever.”
A Labour spokesperson said: “The party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.
“All complaints about antisemitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
