Labour suspends Mossad conspiracy theory councillor

Fife representative to face party probe over controversial Facebook post

A Fife councillor who suggested Jewish newspapers criticising Labour’s position on anti-Semitism may be working on behalf of the Israeli secret service has been suspended by the party.

Mary Lockhart has been widely criticised since The Courier revealed her comments at the weekend, made in a Facebook post which has since been deleted.

A Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of anti-Semitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.

“All complaints about anti-Semitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”

The UK’s three leading Jewish newspapers had published a joint front page message warning a Corbyn-led government would pose an “existential threat to Jewish life in this country”.

Ms Lockhart posted about the move: “If it is a Mossad assisted campaign to prevent the election of a Labour Government pledged to recognise Palestine as a State, it is unacceptable interference in the democracy of Britain.”

Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty representative Ms Lockhart has not responded to any request for comment since making the post.

But in a Facebook statement, she said last night: “Following my suspension from the Labour Party to allow consideration of whether or not one of my Facebook posts breached the Labour Party’s rules in respect of anti-Semitism, I have deleted the post.

“I will not be commenting further on this (or) any other matter until a judgment has been made. I remain a supporter of the Labour Party and of its current leadership.”

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Scottish Conservatives’ youth wing has been accused of anti-Semitism after using a phrase developed by the Nazis.

James Bundy, an economics student at St Andrews University, posted on social media at the weekend about a BBC package about gender stereotypes and children that the corporation was using “his taxpayer’s money… to promote cultural Marxism” – sparking a backlash from some quarters.

Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer said it was “utterly unacceptable” for a leading figure within a mainstream political party to “use and normalise” a term which has such anti-Semitic underpinnings.

Cultural Marxism was a conspiracy theory developed in Nazi Germany to demonise Jews and is a term consistently used by far-right groups such as the BNP.

Mr Bundy was approached for comment.

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “The tweet has been deleted.”

Following my suspension from the Labour Party to allow consideration of whether or not one of my Facebook posts breached the Labour Party’s rules... I have deleted the post. COUNCILLOR MARY LOCKHART

Picture: PA. Councillor Mary Lockhart has been suspended by the Labour Party.