The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Anti-Semitism allegation ‘swept under the carpet’
Scottish Labour criticised over slow response to Dundee councillor’s post
Scottish Labour has been criticised for its slow response to an allegation a Dundee councillor shared anti-Semitic material online.
Coldside councillor George McIrvine shared a post on Facebook making reference to the Rothschild banking dynasty, a common target for antiSemitic conspiracy theories.
Mr McIrvine has since removed the material and apologised.
Howard Barclay, who complained to the party about the post in April, said he is disappointed the investigation has still not concluded.
He said: “(Scottish Labour leader) Richard Leonard has said there is no place for anti-Semitism in Scotland and yet when it comes to investigating a clear case that arose it is swept under the carpet.”
In an email, Mr Barclay wrote he hoped the delay had not been “so rules can be changed in the Labour Party to allow anti-Semitic imagery being disseminated”.
Last week, Labour did not include all definitions of anti-Semitism agreed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in its code of conduct but yesterday MPs and peers voted to “accept and abide” by them.
Mr Barclay said: “Scottish Labour has an opportunity to take a stand and show to people of Scotland that it does accept the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, that is stands with our Jewish community and that it does not just follow diktats from London, especially on something as fundamental to Scotland’s value system as this.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Labour leader said: “Richard Leonard has been clear throughout his time as leader of the party that he has zero tolerance of, and that there is no room for, antiSemitism or any other form of racism in the Scottish Labour Party.
“While this individual case remains under a live investigation it would not be appropriate to comment further.”
Mr McIrvine’s Facebook post stated: “There are only nine countries left in the world without a Rothschild central bank: Russia, China, Iceland, Cuba, Syria, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and Hungary. Isn’t it funny we are always at war with these countries?”
Mr McIrvine said he intended the post to be a comment on international banking, not the Jewish Rothschild family, and that he was a committed anti-racist.
He has been given the backing of Dundee Trades Union Council but has been absent from council meetings for several weeks. It is understood he has also been dropped as branch secretary for the trade union Unison.