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Liberal Democrat councillors apologise to Liverpool’s Jewish community for Nazi camp comparisons
Former Lord Mayor Councillor Richard Kemp and Cllr Pat Moloney say 'Neither of us would ever knowingly cause hurt to that community'
Two Liberal Democrat councillors have issued an apology to Liverpool’s Jewish community after drawing controversial comparisons between a railway station’s matchday queuing system and Nazi death camps.
Former Lord Mayor Councillor Richard Kemp initially resisted calls to retract his comments after comparing Everton’s matchday queuing at Sandhills station in Liverpool to Auschwitz, sparking widespread condemnation.
During a planning committee debate, Councillor Pat Moloney described the proposed corralling zones and sterile areas for staff and fans at the station as “like something out of a horrific death camp in Nazi Germany.”
However, after facing criticism from both the Jewish community and political opponents, Councillors Moloney and Kemp released a statement: “As councillors, we have given decades of service to this city and have a long record of standing alongside Liverpool’s Jewish community, speaking out against antisemitism whenever it has appeared here.
“Neither of us would ever knowingly cause hurt to that community, and if the specific language used on Tuesday—during a heated debate about the treatment of football supporters—has caused genuine offence, we are sincerely sorry and apologise without qualification.”
Members of the city’s Jewish community reacted angrily to the remarks and urged the former Lord Mayor to reconsider his words. However, their group leader confirmed the councillors would not be suspended.
During the Liverpool Council planning committee debate, Cllr Kemp criticised the length of time it had taken to implement improvements.
He said: “It has been nine years since the passenger transport authority learned there would be a new stadium.
“Last year, you introduced something the mayor (Steve Rotheram) described as pens, which, to me, resembled the greeting area at Auschwitz. Absolutely disgraceful.”
Maloney questioned railway chiefs: “Why didn’t you get this right the first time? This is a major change.”
He added: “The language is appalling and dehumanising—a corralling area, a sterile zone. These are human beings we’re talking about.”
“This is like something out of a horrific death camp in Nazi Germany. Frankly, I am astonished.”
The two councillors faced calls for suspension, while Liverpool’s Labour mayor wrote to Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey to express outrage over the remarks.
Earlier, Jeremy Wolfson, chair of the Merseyside Jewish Representative Council, called on Cllr Kemp to apologise.
He said: “It’s absolutely appalling; he should apologise without hesitation.
“I lost family members in the Holocaust—cousins, great-grandparents—which makes this a deeply sensitive issue. I know Richard Kemp will appreciate the strength of feeling, but this comparison is wholly inappropriate; the Holocaust was more than genocide.
“To draw such a comparison is appalling. It cannot be equated to the experience of people being taken away to be murdered.
“Using such language demonstrates an ignorance of history and insensitivity toward those who suffered immense hardship. Cllr Kemp should carefully consider his words in the future.”
David Coleman, administrator of Allerton Synagogue, said: “It’s absolutely despicable that they could use that sort of language. Failing to apologise shows a lack of understanding of what the Jewish community has endured and continues to experience. I would have expected Richard Kemp to know better.”
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