Sara Conway steps down as Labour’s Finchley and Golders Green candidate

Barnet councillor Sara Conway has resigned as Labour’s candidate for the marginal seat of Finchley and Golders Green citing “personal matters.”

Conway revealed she was stepping down on Tuesday night, tweeting: “Due to personal matters I have decided to stand down as the Labour Party’s candidate for Finchley and Golders Green with immediate effect.

“I would like to thank the Finchley and Golders Green Labour Party for all their support over the past 5 months.”

The announcement came on the heels of Conway’s interview with Jewish News during which she said Labour’s antisemitism row had been “drummed up to such a level,” it had become “an endless back and forth that doesn’t work.”

The councillor had stressed that she was not seeking to “dismiss or push back” on claims, but added: “You can’t weaponise without there being a problem but this issue has been weaponised by certain media commentators.”

The comments drew criticism from incumbent MP Mike Freer, who said: “I condemn the idea that antisemitism has been ‘weaponised’ or ‘drummed up.’

“Tell that to the number of Labour activists and MPs like Dame Margaret Hodge.”

Conway responded to Freer’s condemnation, saying: “In my earlier comments I was referring specifically to the right-wing press and far-right commentators on social media, including those who have themselves promoted racist rhetoric, who use this issue as a political football to create polarisation and division, which can undermine our fight against antisemitism.”