Councillor accused of anti-Jewish messages
Comments not anti-Semitic, Labour member insists Party holds investigation into social media posts
ALABOUR councillor is being investigated by own her party after being accused of posting anti-Semitic remarks on social media.
An official complaint against Whitewell councillor Pam Bromley has been lodged with the Labour Party over a post published on her Facebook page.
The Labour Against Anti-Semitism [LAAS] group said it has reported Councillor Bromley along with around 150 other Labour members over comments the group believes to be anti-Semitic.
Coun Bromley has described the claims made against her as ‘scurrilous accusations’ and said she has not posted any anti-Semitic comments.
The LAAS group said it complained to the Labour compliance unit over a post which they say appeared on Coun Bromley’s Facebook page in April 2016 which they claim said: “[The] Rothschilds are a powerful financial family (like the Medicis) and represent capitalism — even if the Nazis DID use the activities of Rothschilds in their anti-Semitic propaganda. We must not obscure the truth with the need to be tactful.”
In the same month, the group say she posted a link to the Rothschild & Co website and com- mented, saying: “Right I am fed up of this shush don’t mention the Rothchilds stuff [sic]. They are not the only international bankers and financiers but are amongst those who, Jewish and non-Jewish, hold tremendous wealth and power.”
The LAAS has accused Coun Bromley of ‘making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews’ and ‘the power of Jews as collective’, ‘drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis’ and ‘using the symbols and images associated with classic anti-Semitism’.
Responding to the accusations on Facebook, Coun Bromley, who sits on the council’s overview and scrutiny committee and the Rawtenstall neighbourhood forum, described the affair a ‘witch-hunt’.
She said: “I have not said anything anti-Semitic on Facebook and I stand by what I said.
“If anti-Semitism exists then of course it should be dealt with but I have yet to come across anyone criticising anyone on the grounds of their being Jewish.”
Coun Bromley, who was elected in 2016, said that she felt her credibility as a councillor was being targeted.
She also posted on Facebook: “This whole anti-Semitism witch-hunt is nothing more than: A - an attempt to censor and stifle debate about the atrocities being committed in Palestine, and B - de-stabilise Corbyn and the Labour Party, and in this particular instance, my credibility as an elected councillor of course.
“Whoever is behind the Jewish lobby is terrified of the prospect of a Corbynled Labour government.”
She also dismissed the accusations as ‘nonsensical rhetoric’, adding: “They can report me to the man in the moon as far as I care, because I believe that people will not be terrified into silence and the truth of this nonsensical rhetoric will become common knowledge, and then we can continue to fight and disgrace the modern scourge of racism in all its many forms”.
It comes as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of not doing enough to clamp down on anti-Semitism in his party.
When contacted by the Free Press, Coun Bromley said: “I have said what I have to say quite publicly. Until I have taken legal advice about dealing with these scurrilous accusations I have nothing to add.”
The Labour leader of Rossendale council Alyson Barnes said the party was investigating the allegations.
She said: “We are aware of the complaints that have been made against Pam Bromley. The Labour Party nationally are investigating these allegations, and we await the outcome of those investigations”.
A Labour Party spokesperson said “The Labour Party is committed to challenging and campaigning against antiSemitism in all its forms.
“All complaints of antiSemitism are taken extremely seriously. These are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken. We do not comment on individual cases.”
‘I have not said anything anti-Semitic on Facebook and I stand by what I said’