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Momentum vice-chair Jackie Walker could be ousted over Holocaust remarks

A leading Labour activist has been suspended from the party because of remarks she made regarding the Holocaust.

Jackie Walker, who lives in Broadstairs and is the vice chairman of Momentum, has apologised for the comments but is under scrutiny for a second time for controversial remarks she made.

Momentum will hold a meeting on Monday to consider her fate amid reports she could be removed from her role in the left-wing campaign group.

Momentum vice-chairman Jackie Walker
Momentum vice-chairman Jackie Walker

She is also facing criticism from a senior trade union figure, who has said she should also quit the Labour party.

Manuel Cortes, the general secretary of the TSSA union said: "I am asking Jackie that, in the interests of unity, she resigns at once from our party and also as vice-chair of Momentum.“

"If she doesn’t, both the Labour party and Momentum need to act to get rid of her at once. Furthermore, TSSA will seriously reconsider our union’s support for Momentum if she is still in post by this time next week.”

At a training event at the party conference in Liverpool, she was recorded by the Huffington Post saying that: “In terms of Holocaust day, wouldn’t it be wonderful if Holocaust day was open to all people who experienced Holocaust?”

“I came in here ... and I was looking for information and I still haven’t heard a definition of anti-Semitism that I can work with [shouting from audience] and in terms of Holocaust day wouldn’t it be wonderful if Holocaust day was open to all people who experienced holocaust ... [shouting from audience] in practice it’s not actually circulated and advertised as such.”

She also questioned why Jewish schools required security.

A senior Labour MP has stepped up the pressure saying Ms Walker should be expelled from the party.

Chris Bryant tweeted that she should be forced to leave the party "never to return."

The row is damaging for Labour as party leader Jeremy Corbyn used his conference speech to condemn anti-Semitism saying it was evil.

It is not the first time Ms Walker has been in trouble for comments about the Holocaust.

In May, she was briefly suspended when she wrote about "the African holocaust" and Jews as "financiers of the sugar and slave trade" on Facebook.

In a statement, Ms Walker said she was sorry for any offence called: "A number of people made comments in a private training session run by the Jewish Labour Movement.

"As we all know, training sessions are intended to be safe spaces where ideas and questions can be explored.

"A film of this session was leaked to the press unethically. I did not raise a question on security in Jewish schools.

"The trainer raised this issue and I asked for clarification, in particular as all London primary schools, to my knowledge, have security and I did not understand the particular point the trainer was making.

"Having been a victim of racism I would never play down the very real fears the Jewish community have, especially in light of recent attacks in France.”

Her apology has however failed to prevent calls for her resignation.

Jeremy Newmark, chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, called on her to resign and said he was “appalled” at Ms Walker’s comments.

“I am appalled that somebody who has already caused great hurt and pain to so many Jewish people by promoting an anti-Semitic myth would come to a training session designed to help party activists address anti-Semitism and use the occasion to challenge the legitimacy of the training itself,” he said.

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