Prospective candidate and activists for Galloway’s party accused of anti-Semitism

ACTIVISTS and prospective candidates for George Galloway’s political party have promoted “repulsive” conspiracy theories involving anti-Semitic tropes, The Telegraph can reveal.

One prospective parliamentary candidate for the Workers Party of Britain claimed that British politicians were “controlled by rich and wealthy Zionists” who also ran “the banks and big businesses and the media”, while another activist said that Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer were “foreign agents” working for Israel.

In February, Mr Galloway won the Rochdale by-election on a platform defined by opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza. He has vowed to run dozens of candidates against Labour MPs in this year’s general election.

An investigation by The Telegraph has found that a number of party activists have promoted conspiracy theories involving Jewish control.

James Rossi, who has said he is a prospective parliamentary candidate in London, recorded a video in February in which he claimed that the UK has been supportive of Israel because British politicians are “bought by Israel”.

He said Britain also backed Israel because “the Rothschild family... control the world banks”.

In another comment posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said politicians were “controlled by rich and wealthy Zionists that effectively control banks, big businesses and the media”.

Mr Rossi has also repeatedly compared Israel to the Nazis – something which the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance has said can constitute anti-Semitism.

Thomas Darksen, a Workers Party activist who stood for the party in local elections in Rotherham in 2021, has posted a number of controversial comments about Jews. Commenting on a story involving UK Lawyers for Israel, he tweeted: “The Jews are making enemies for no good reason. Again.”

Lisa Roddy, a Workers Party activist who stood for the party in Oldham in 2021, said that Mr Sunak, Sir Keir and Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP, were “foreign agents”.

Asked about her comments, Ms Roddy said: “I refuse to stay silent when our money is paying to support genocide,” she added.

Another Workers Party organiser, Hussain Shafiei, said that Zionists wanted non-Jews as their “slaves”.

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “These statements are a bingo card of anti-Jewish tropes.”

A spokesman for the Workers Party said: “We have over 350 candidates whose applications are under review. Of the four candidates you name, only one has made an application to stand in forthcoming elections.”

‘British politicians are controlled by rich Zionists who also run banks, big business and the media’