Jackie Walker Walks Out Of Her Labour Anti-Semitism Hearing

27 March 2019, 08:59 | Updated: 27 March 2019, 09:05

Former Momentum Vice Chair Jackie Walker has walked out of the disciplinary into alleged anti-semitism after claiming she wouldn't get a 'fair hearing'.

It's three years since Ms Walker was first suspended from the Labour Party for claiming "many Jews" were involved in the African slave trade. She was re-admitted - and then suspended again for saying Holocaust Memorial Day should include other genocides - which it does - and that she could not find a definition of antisemitism she could work with.

Her disciplinary hearing was held yesterday, but Ms Walker said her lawyers asked if she could read out a statement in her defence. It was refused, so she walked out.

Simon Johnson, the Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, told LBC that Ms Walker's action are straight out of the racist's playbook.

Speaking to Nick Ferrari, he said: "Last year when we want to meet Jeremy Corbyn, we said that the Jackie Walker case had been going on for too long then. We're now a year on and the case is still happening.

"What you've seen from this case is that Jackie Walker is still believing that she is the victim.

"It is a classic mechanism of victim-blaming here, where you refuse to engage with the serious allegation of racism against you and instead make an indignant counter-allegation that you yourself are the victim and that the people who are accusing you are themselves responsible of racism.

"It is a classic way that racists defend themselves against these charges."

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “This account is incorrect and misleading. Individuals in these disciplinary hearings can fully state their case once the charges against them are presented.

"The process for hearings is the same for everyone and the order of the events is clearly explained to those involved in advance.”