Labour is embroiled in another antisemitism scandal amid claims a councillor shared a platform with a Hamas sympathiser.
Fury erupted after Jenny Lynn, who is also chair of Halifax Friends of Palestine, organised an event for the group where the key speaker was Musheir El-Farra. They are believed to have sat next to each other throughout the meeting last December.
El-Farra used his speech to accuse Israel of “spicing up” its narrative about the October 7 terrorist attacks with “lies” and allegations of rape.
On a separate occasion in 2018 he called senior Hamas leader Salah Bardawail a “personal friend” and a “brother”. Yesterday Campaign Against Antisemitism called on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to investigate and suspend any of the party’s councillors who attended, including Ms Lynn.
The Daily Express understands she is the subject of an independent inquiry, although it isn’t clear if it relates to the December event.
Ms Lynn – Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities – has been contacted for comment.
Halifax Friends of Palestine has repeatedly posted antisemitic content and glorified Palestinian terrorists on social media. Just weeks after the October 7 massacre, it shared a photo of protesters holding a banner comparing Israel to the Nazis.
More recently it shared content calling for Israel to be bombed and defended Hamas’ treatment of the hostages.
There are previous claims that Ms Lynn, inset right, organised an event in 2021 featuring a placard with a swastika and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was chanted.
The latest scandal comes just a week after Sir Keir was forced to suspend Graham Jones, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Hyndburn, less than 24 hours after withdrawing support for Azhar Ali, the party’s candidate for the Rochdale byelection.
Both face allegations of antisemitism. Last night deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, Craig Tracey, said: “The ugly truth of the Labour Party is that it hasn’t changed at all.
“Despite all Sir Keir’s empty pledges to zero tolerance, it is clear antisemitism is out of control under this watch.
“Starmer needs to grow a spine and sack this hateful figure.”
Sir Keir has repeatedly insisted that he’s been ridding Labour of antisemitism since he took over as leader from Jeremy Corbyn.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Jenny Lynn is finding herself in all sorts of controversies relating to antisemitism. The reported rhetoric at this event that she helped organise is particularly grotesque. So why does her Council group appear to be protecting her? Clearly, Labour needs to investigate her, and potentially the local Party branch as well.
“Labour has recently demonstrated that it wants to turn a leaf over the scandals of past years. It must continue to put a line in the sand and declare that it will not tolerate extremist views. The time is now. It is the least that we should be able to expect from all our political parties.”
