Oxford Labour students face anti-Semitism inquiry
TWO prominent Momentum activists who hold powerful elected positions in the Labour Party’s national youth and policy wings are being investigated over alleged anti-Semitism at Oxford University, The Daily Telegraph understands.
Max Shanly, 25, a member of Young Labour’s national committee, and James Elliott, 22, who sits on the youth section of the party’s national policy forum, are at the centre of the inquiry into claims about harassment and intimidation of Jewish students. Both vigorously deny the claims.
Labour Students, the national student wing of the party, is investigating Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) following the resignation of its co-chairman, Alex Chalmers, who claimed that a large proportion of its members have “some kind of problems with Jews”.
Mr Elliott, a third-year history student at St Edmund Hall, was youth policy adviser to the Jeremy Corbyn for Labour Leader campaign and helped to write and launch Mr Corbyn’s youth manifesto. He is backed by Momentum to run as the youth representative for Labour’s national executive committee.
Mr Shanly, who went to Ruskin College, Oxford, is said to be a key ally of Jon Lansman, the founder of Momentum, a grassroots network of Corbyn supporters.
He represents south-eastern members of the Young Labour national committee and is standing to be a national officer in the party’s youth elections next week.
In December, Mr Shanly was at the centre of bullying and abuse claims in online forums among Momentum’s supporters. He was accused of “threatening, bullying behaviour” by a fellow activist who wrote on Facebook: “Maybe I should post screenshots of a rather interesting set of emails I have in my possession in which you and others conspire to bully a young woman out of Red Labour.”
Mr Shanly responded at the time: “Have I said anything threatening? I’ve in no way breached the ethical code.”
Martin Howe, a lawyer from Howe & Co Solicitors who is acting for Mr Elliott and Mr Shanly, said that all allegations of anti-Semitism against his clients were “not true”, adding that they both “absolutely reject and deny” the claims.
Mr Howe added that Mr Elliott “is proud of his record of fighting antiSemitism and considers anti-Semitism to be abhorrent and reprehensible” and that Mr Shanly “is appalled by racism in all its forms and has always sought to challenge racism when he has come across it”.
Mr Shanly also complained that allegations of anti-Semitism against him were part of a wider smear campaign against him in Oxford by elements on the Right of the party.
Mr Chalmers’s resignation last week prompted an intervention from the minister for universities, Jo Johnson, who wrote to Oxford’s vice-chancellor, Louise Richardson, to demand an inquiry into the claims. “There can be no justification for attacks on Jewish students, and no tolerance for institutionalised racism,” he wrote.
A spokesman for Momentum said: “Momentum opposes racism, antiSemitism, and all forms of oppression. Allegations that Momentum is involved in anti-Semitism at Oxford University or anywhere else are baseless and we have received no claims about any individuals or groups associated with Momentum.”
Oxford University has said that it “does not tolerate any form of harassment or victimisation”.
A Labour Party spokesman said that it “condemns anti-Semitism in any form”, adding that it would take “robust action” to deal with anti-Semitic behaviour.
The OULC executive committee said in a statement that it was “horrified at, and wholeheartedly condemns, antiSemitic behaviour in all its forms” adding that it would “fully co-operate” with the investigation.
A spokesman for Labour Students said: “We will not be giving a running commentary on the investigation. Any further updates will be made when appropriate, in due course.”