Statement by Alison Gove-Humphries in response to allegations

I am extremely saddened by the allegation that my private Facebook posts were anti-Semitic.

I merely shared a link to third party posts with no commentary or opinion. I share many topical new pieces across a broad spectrum on my Facebook account and it is clear to me these old posts have been taken completely out of context.

I entirely refute Cllr Barry Henley’s comment that “These are clearly anti-Semitic postings”.

I have worked in education for 37 years and am proud of my record on promoting equalities and diversity both through my history teaching and as a Senior School Improvement Adviser for Birmingham City Council, where I worked on the Equalities team.

I used to invite Holocaust survivors in to speak to children about their experiences and worked hard to explain why it was so important to teach about the Holocaust and the best ways to approach this teaching.

I have produced many articles promoting diversity and equalities in history and write educational articles with a colleague from the Holocaust Education Trust.

For many years I have also co-ordinated Black History Month in my role as History Adviser to Birmingham and helped produce a variety of resources around diversity and Black History.

In order to avoid any further instances of intrusion and misrepresentation, I have deactivated my Facebook account and I have opened a separate account.

I do not believe I have done anything unlawful. I will continue to serve the Labour Party and its local constituents to the best of my ability and I do not want to be distracted by these hurtful allegations. It goes without saying that if there is any Labour party investigation into this matter then I will co-operate fully and openly.