JVL’ s Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi expelled from Labour
EXCLUSIVE The JVL co-founder was found to have breached Labour's strict rules over involvement with banned organisations deemed to have downplayed or denied antisemitism
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi – one of the founders of the Jewish Voice For Labour Group – has been expelled from Keir Starmer’s party.
Jewish News understands that the pro-Jeremy Corbyn activist was expelled by Labour on Thursday, following her suspension in September over her involvement at the event organised by the proscribed Resist group, led by the disgraced former MP Chris Williamson
Resist were one of the four far-left organisations banned by Labour in July 2021 for downplaying and denying antisemitism claims in the party.
One party source described the JVL co-founder’s involvement with the meeting as a “straight rule break.”
Wimborne-Idrissi later’confirmed on Twitter she had been expelled on a charge that she had “demonstrated support” for the Resist group.
She claimed to be the victim of a “hostile campaign” by the Labour leadership, and said she would appeal the decision to expel her.
Wimborne-Idrissi’s expulsion will come as welcome news for most Jewish Labour supporters are communal organisations.
The Jewish Labour Movement, along with the Board of Deputies have been amongst the JVL co-founder’s fiercest critics.
In an apparent set back to Starmer’s attempt to rid Labour of its antisemitism problem Wimborne-Idrissi was elected onto the party’s NEC in July.
The single transferable vote system used, and the low turn-out for the NEC elections allowed the minority block of far-left activists still in the Labour party to rally round the JVL candidate.
But Wimborne-Idrissi was then suspended from the party only weeks later after video footage emerged online of her participating at Williamson’s Resist meeting in September 2021.
She has previously been suspended by Labour a year earlier over her conduct towards Jewish members at a meeting of the Chingford and Woodford Green local party, when she was vice-chair.
Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership she had repeatedly denied the existence of an antisemitism problem in the party.
She also weaponised her own Jewish background, claiming in numerous speeches that the real crisis in the party was with the targeting of Jewish socialists such as herself.
In October she apologised unreservedly” to the journalist John Ware in the High Court after accepting she made “untrue” and “defamatory” remarks about his political leanings.
Wimborne-Idrissi and JVL now face a hefty legal bill after Ware won his libel claim against her and the group, over comments attacking him for the BBC Panorama in July 2019 that exposed the failure to tackle antisemitism under Corbyn’s leadership.
Jewish News has approached Labour for comment.
The JVL activist tweeted:”My treatment demonstrates the hostile campaign to which LW Labour Party members are being subjected, including disproportionate numbers of Jewish members.
“Expulsion follows my suspension in September, within weeks of being elected to Labour’s NEC.
“Charge was, by taking part in discussion a year earlier organised by proscribed groups I had demonstrated support for them – a ‘prohibited act’.
“I dispute this interpretation and will appeal my expulsion.”
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