Labour members at Sheffield University have decided to “indefinitely postpone” an event hosting controversial MP Chris Williamson until the Metropolitan Police has finished its investigation into alleged antisemitism by people in the party.
As reported by the JC on Friday morning, Sheffield Labour Students (SLS) initially rejected a plea by the university’s Jewish society to rescind an invitation to Mr Williamson, who was due to speak at an November 8 event alongside the Stop the War group about Saudi Arabia’s involvement in Yemen.
But hours after Scotland Yard announced it had opened a criminal investigation into messages contained in a dossier it was handed by journalists, the SLS issued a new statement saying it did not feel “that the event should take place at this moment in time.
“Although Chris Williamson is not personally implicated by these allegations, Sheffield Labour Students believes that due to the nature of the investigation calling into question the efficiency of the disciplinary procedures within the party,” the statement said.
Earlier, the university's Jsoc urged SLS to cancel the invite, noting that that, straight after the Pittsburgh shooting left 11 Jewish people dead - "when our community was at its most vulnerable" - Mr Williamson was tweeting an attack on the Board of Deputies.
"He only retweeted condolences from Jeremy Corbyn hours later after outrage against him. He has called antisemitism allegations in the Labour Party ‘proxy wars and bullsh*t’," the Jsoc added.
