Starmer pledges action against anti-Israel union activists who blocked Jewish MP’s school visit
PM responded to a question from an MP on decision to prevent Damian Egan school visit
Keir Starmer has promised action against the far-left anti-Israel trade union activists who campaigned for the cancellation of a school visit by a Jewish MP.
At Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons on Wednesday, the Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp branded the campaigners as antisemites and said Damian Egan had been “prevented from visiting a school in his constituency because he is Jewish”.
Jewish News exclusively revealed that September’s visit to his former school in Bristol had been cancelled after NEU union activists, including teachers, organised a protest.
They said they opposed the visit by the Labour MP for Bristol North East, because they viewed him as supportive of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, as a vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel.
Starmer responded to the MP’s question by saying: “Can I start by thanking you for raising this case, because it is very serious, very concerning, and all members of parliament should be able to visit anywhere in their constituency, schools or other places without any fear of antisemitism.
“We do take this seriously. We are providing more funding for security and support we’re putting in across the country, and we will be holding to account those who prevented this visit to this school.”
Communities Secretary first raised the fact that at “Jewish colleague” had a school visit cancelled as he spoke to Jewish News‘s Justin Cohen at Sunday’s Jewish Labour Movement conference.
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