‘I am not a Holocaust denier’

Former city council candidate categorically refutes allegations made against him

A suspended Labour candidate in Peterborough has categorically refuted claims he is a Holocaust denier but accepted he should receive anti-Semitic training.

Alan Bull admitted he had made a “bad mistake with disastrous consequences” by sharing an article on his private Facebook account which suggested the Holocaust is a hoax.

But the former candidate for Stanground South in May’s city council elections said: “I have not denied the Holocaust at any time in my life.”

Mr Bull, who described himself as a “lifelong antiracist,” said he had shared the post with his friends, without comment, to find out their views on the article, but that he was “ignorant of the fact that sharing this article, and some others, would be viewed as anti-Semitic.”

Mr Bull claimed a comment he had published underneath the article, where he said he was definitely not a Holocaust denier, had been removed when a screen shot of the post was sent to the media.

He said he had been “tried by the media and condemned without the due process” but he admitted he was “guilty of sharing material that is considered anti-Semitic” which was a “bad mistake with disastrous consequences.”

He also accepted that despite not being anti-Semitic: “I should receive antiSemitic training” as advised by Baroness Chakrabarti, who published a report on antiSemitism in the Labour Party

Labour’s council group leader Cllr Ed Murphy, who was part of the group which ratified Mr Bull as a candidate, told the PT it was for Labour’s compliance unit to investigate allegations against him.

He said: “We were aware some allegations had been made. It was my view a proper investigation should be carried out by compliance for them to decide by due process if any actions should be made against the individual.”

Cllr Murphy would not say how anybody in the group voted. Moreover, two Labour city councillors revealed they were being disciplined by the party after calling for Mr Bull not to stand in the elections.

Cllr Matthew Mahabadi and Cllr Richard Ferris wrote in the New Statesmen that they were being investigated by their fellow councillors for “bullying and intimidating behaviour” on social media.

The pair added: “You could not make it up.” The PT has attempted to contact the whip of the Labour group on the council for her response.