Labour drops Falkirk candidate over ‘antisemitic’ posts

With two weeks until election day, the Labour Party has dropped its candidate for Falkirk over claims she shared antisemitic material on Facebook.

Safia Ali has been suspended from the Labour Party and removed as a candidate in connection with alleged antisemitic material, it is understood.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “We deeply regret that Safia Ali was selected and that Labour members and supporters will not have a Labour candidate to campaign and vote for.

“We are campaigning to get Labour MPs elected across Scotland and elect a Labour government to end austerity and invest £100 billion in Scotland’s public services, people and communities over the next 10 years.”

The case is being investigated using the party’s new fast-track procedures, approved at Labour conference in September, under which Labour’s ruling body has the power to expedite the expulsion of members, it is understood.

It is believed the material under investigation was discovered on an older Facebook account Ali had stopped using and predated her party membership.

Scottish Labour general secretary Michael Sharpe told the Falkirk Herald: “There is no place for antisemitism, or any form of racism and bigotry, in our party. That is why Labour is taking robust action to root it out of our movement and wider society.

“The party has significantly strengthened our procedures, with swift suspensions, new processes for rapid expulsions and an education programme for members. While I cannot go into details about individual cases, I can confirm that the party has acted immediately and decisively to remove this candidate.”