JLM calls for Labour to remove whip from Rupa Huq over antisemitism claims

The Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) has called for the whip to be removed from Rupa Huq, the Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton accused of antisemitism.

It follows a series of anonymous accounts in The Times, in which former staff members allege that Huq tore down a ‘no tolerance for antisemitism’ poster, repeatedly questioned why a new employee had a Star of David badge, and brought the Jewish faith of a job applicant up during an internal emails about the applicant.

The newspaper reported that the MP said she would “have to say no [to the candidate] but don’t want him to claim antisemitism”.

She denied the remarks attributed to her in the Times’ reporting and said she only asked the employee about the badge once, believing it to be an Israeli flag, but the JLM said she should have the whip withdrawn while she is investigated.

It described the accusations as “serious allegations of antisemitic bullying and harassment,” adding that if she was “not willing to withdraw herself from the Labour whip whilst these serious allegations are investigated, the party should suspend it”.

JLM said that, if proven, the accusations would “provide yet more evidence of the institutionalised racism which runs through the Labour Party”.

Huq is one of parliament’s most vociferous critics of Israeli action, slamming the “shocking bloodshed” in Gaza in May last year. Earlier this year she said she was “no longer listed” as a supporter of Labour Friends of Israel.