Accusations that claims of antisemitism within the Labour Party were part of a ‘scam’ to smear left-wing politicians have been trending on Twitter.
Supporters of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, who presided over the party’s antisemitism crisis, have driven ‘#ItWasAScam’ to national prominence on the website.
The trend was described as “a celebration and exposé of the antisemitism smearing industry” by Brighton-based writer Simon Maginn, who has admitted he has been investigated by the Labour Party over antisemitism allegations.
He called for Labour supporters to, "stop talking about 'antisemitism' and start talking about fraud. Cold, deliberate, intentional fraud, on a gigantic scale".
The campaign follows director Ken Loach’s expulsion from the Labour Party over his support for others who have been booted out of the party. The 85-year old Palme d'Or winner said this weekend: “There is indeed a witch-hunt … Starmer and his clique will never lead a party of the people.”
On Twitter last night, prominent left-wing accounts echoed the filmmaker’s claims.
Former Momentum vice-chair Jackie Walker, herself expelled from Labour after questioning Holocaust Memorial Day for only commemorating Jewish victims, retweeted an account using the divisive hashtag and referred to the party’s antisemitism scandal as “one s. [sic] of the greatest mass political frauds”.
She said, “[Antisemitism] exists for sure and of course it is a problem, but the overstating of it, and the priority given has destroyed much progress towards a more equal society.”
Tweeting under #ItWasAScam tag, anonymous account ‘WikiJewSoc’ said: “If Jeremy Corbyn really was an antisemite, why do they have to fabricate quotes and redefine antisemitism to "prove" it?”
Others using the hashtag expressed solidarity with Mr Loach, called for journalists and MPs to “have their arses sued for libel and slander”, and ran polls on who was the best Parliamentary Labour Party ‘scammer’.
Barrister Jane Heybroek denounced the use of antisemitism as a “political weapon”.
She said, "my heart goes out to Jewish people of whatever political persuasion, who have been terrified, vilified, and used as a political football - in the case of the Soros myth, leading to murderous consequences - so that far-right politicians and oligarchs can maintain their control."
