Corbyn aide blocked the suspension of Labour activist

ONE of Jeremy Corbyn’s aides intervened to block the suspension of a Labour Party activist arrested earlier this month on suspicion of inciting racial hatred against Jews.

Laura Murray, the daughter of one of the Labour leader’s closest allies, overruled a recommendation by party officials investigating a complaint made against a member who posted antisemitic conspiracy theories online.

Patricia Sheerin, 72, was last week arrested by the Metropolitan Police along with two other activists for “publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred”.

Online posts made by Ms Sheerin are alleged to include links between Israel and Isil, while another is alleged to promote a conspiracy theory that Jewish groups were behind the Ukrainian revolution. Details of the claims were included in a dossier passed to Scotland Yard last year, resulting in her being arrested and her home in South London being raided. She has been released pending further investigation.

However, according to The Sunday Times, Ms Sheerin was initially spared a proposed suspension from Labour after Ms Murray emailed officials in March, stating that the recommendation of Jeremy Corbyn’s office was that “you investigate without suspension”.

The email continued: “Although her tweets are drawing upon conspiracy theories, they are about Israel and no mention of Jews or Jewishness etc”.

Seumas Milne, Mr Corbyn’s communications director, senior aide Karie Murphy and Andrew Murray, Ms Murray’s father, were also included in the exchange.

A Labour spokesman said: “There is no comparison to be drawn between these emails and later action taken by the party and possibly the police against this individual, which was on the basis of more serious material.”