VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS: The bleakness of the ballot paper

The Gorton & Denton by-election offers a useful, albeit grim, guide to what a general election may look like.

The Greens, under the leadership of professional bosom hypnotist turned born-again anti-Zionist Zack Polanski, put their opposition to what they describe as “Israel’s genocide” at the centre of their campaign. Expect that to spiral further in the coming period, as the party inevitably votes to support a ‘Zionism is racism’ motion, straight out of the Soviet Union’s playbook. As Jewish News showed last week, the Green’s pitch to voters in the constituency included interviews with a notorious Islamist outfit, which has welcomed a range of the UK’s most notorious Neo-Nazis to discuss Jews, Zionism and LGBT issues. So much for ‘anti-racism’.

Labour, meanwhile, attempted to focus on its deeply-misguided recognition last year of a Palestinian state as a vote winner, with Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer marking the start of Ramadan last week with a cosy sit-down video with the Palestinian Authority’s representative here. Those who believe this is a coincidental decision with no involvement from Labour might be encouraged to consider whether that video would have been released had this week’s constituency by-election been in Hendon instead.

For its part, Reform UK suspended a key activist in the seat after Jewish communal leaders raised concerns about antisemitic and misogynistic social media posts. The fact that he was suspended is positive – that he was in such a position in the first place, much less so. Last year, the party announced a new “common sense” vetting policy, reportedly placing an emphasis on “individual freedom of expression” and encouraging those previously rejected to reapply. What could possibly go wrong?

And the Conservatives and Lib Dems were all but invisible – even among those interested in politics, few would even be able to name those parties’ candidates in the seat.

There are, of course, vehement Jewish supporters of all these parties. But an increasing number of Jewish voters may enter the polling booth feeling they have no positive choices, but rather the option of choosing the one they believe is the least negative.