But councillor says slip of tongue at hustings prompted confusion hours before polling day
Labour candidate reported to police in ‘anti-Semetic comment’ row
ABIRMINGHAM Labour candidate was reported to police hours before voters went to the polls after sparking an anti-Semitism row by wrongly linking the Lehman Brothers to ‘right-wing’ newspapers.
A Jewish businesswoman made the complaint after saying she was “shocked and offended” to hear the reference to the Jewish bankers by Labour Hall Green candidate Tahir Ali at a hustings in Moseley.
Mr Ali, who is a city councillor, was talking about the reporting of anti-Semitism in politics when he confused media barons the Barclay Brothers, who own the Daily Telegraph group, with the Lehman Brothers – the Jewish US bankers.
He later issued an apology on Twitter and said: “I genuinely meant to say the Barclay Brothers.”
But the businesswoman claimed the comment was offensive enough for the candidate to have to step down.
The woman, a Hall Green resident of Jewish faith and a parent, was at the hustings event but asked not to be identified.
She said: “Mr Ali was asked about his feelings about anti-Semitism and in his reply he made reference to the Lehman Brothers.
“This is a key and pure anti-semitic statement against our community... the comment and his apology cannot be accepted for an individual aspiring to high public office.”
Police confirmed they received a complaint and it had been assessed and logged as a non-criminal hate incident in keeping with national guidelines. The incident has also been logged as anti-Semitic by the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that protects British Jews from anti-Semitism.
The battle for the Hall Green seat has been dogged with controversy after the Labour Party rejected sitting MP Roger Godsiff and selected Cllr Ali, a city councillor from Nechells, as their official candidate.
Mr Godsiff is standing as an Independent this Thursday and has won the prominent support of protesters who led school gate demonstrations outside Anderton Park School over LGBT equality.
Police are investigating three criminal complaints connected to campaigning, and have made one arrest alleging ‘malicious communication’ about Cllr Ali.
Cllr Ali said his reference
to the
Lehman Brothers was an error and he was “mortified and extremely sorry” when the mistake was brought to his attention. His full apology, issued hours after the event, says:
“At the hustings I intended to say the Barclay Brothers, not the Lehman Brothers... This was a genuine accident. I’m mortified and extremely sorry.”
He added: “The Barclay Brothers own the Telegraph, a pro-Conservative newspaper. I was talking about the mainstream media and talking about right wing newspapers that oppose Labour’s plans to fundamentally change our country to put power and wealth in the hands of the people.
“I know it’s a common anti-semitic trope to paint Jewish people as controlling our country’s finances.
“I would never peddle this false and offensive narrative. I genuinely meant to say the Barclay Brothers.”
But this apology was not good enough, said the complainant.
She said the comment was antiSemitic based on national guidelines.
“This very public normalising of hate is inexcusable and the candidate, as with any similar public official, ought to stand down,” she said.
National guidelines say anti-Semitism is any comment that is mendacious, dehumanising, demonising or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews collectively – such as, but not exclusively, the myth about a worldwide Jewish conspiracy or Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
The incident occurred at a hustings for parliamentary candidates for Hall Green. Also standing this week are local activist Izzy Knowles (Liberal Democrats to stop Brexit), Patrick Cox (Greens), Rosie Cuckston (Brexit Party), and PennyAnne O’Donnell (Conservatives). Each of them also spoke out against anti-Semitism.
Cllr Ali and the other candidates were asked to explain their feelings about anti-Semitism.
In response to the question, Cllr Ali told the gathering: “There is no place for racism of any kind in any party. Earlier...the Lib Dem candidate for Hodge Hill has been suspended because of anti-Semitic remarks. Two Conservative candidates this week have been suspended because of anti-Semitic remarks.
I intended to say the Barclay Brothers, not the Lehman Brothers... This was a genuine accident. I’m mortified and extremely sorry.
Cllr Tahir Ali
“You will not see them in the national media – it is the Labour Party that is always being driven by mainstream media, whether it’s the Lehman brothers or the Murdochbacked media institutions. We need to be abundantly clear that anti-Semitism, Islamaphobia or racism of any kind should not be tolerated and has no place in society.”
After a comment from a member of the public about Jeremy Corbyn, he added: “You need to look at everything in context. There will be a lot of allegations about Jeremy Corbyn because of the kind of person he is, because the direction of the party has changed, because the direction of politics in this country has changed.
“I will not stand up for anti-Semitism – I will make sure if there is antiSemitic remarks they are reported, iif there is Islamaphobic remarks they are reported...the attack on Corbyn is for one reason only, to make sure Boris ends up in number 10.”