Exclusive: Chingford and Woodford Green CLP vice-chair Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi is suspended by party pending investigation into her and chair Gary Lefley's conduct
December 3, 2020 12:58
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, a senior official in the Jewish Voice For Labour group, has been suspended by Labour following a JC report on her conduct in a meeting of Chingford and Woodford Green Labour Party.
The JC understands that Ms Wimborne-Idrissi, who is vice-chair of the East London CLP, and the chair, Gary Lefley, have been informed they are administratively suspended from Sir Keir Starmer’s party pending an investigation.
At Monday’s meeting of the local party, the JVL media officer had backed claims about the “weaponisation” of antisemitism allegations within Labour.
When members of the local Labour Party, including members of the Jewish Labour Movement, remarked that they were uncomfortable with the speeches by Ms Wimborne-Idrissi and the chair Mr Lafley, she wrote: “I’m just horrified to see people saying in the chat that they feel ‘uncomfortable’.
“I feel obliged to say well yeah, I feel uncomfortable that people are saying they’re uncomfortable. What is this? We are in a political party. We have views, some of them very strongly held.”
A further transcript of her speech at the online meeting confirms that she also criticised General Secretary David Evans’ move to protect Jewish members of the party by banning the discussion of pro-Jeremy Corbyn motions and discussion of the EHRC report in meetings, after reminding CLPs that the party had accepted the recommendations in full.
But in her speech, Ms Wimborne-Idrissi said: “The idea – and I have to mention it – the idea that Jewish people require for their comfort that whole swathes of subjects should not be debated by the membership of this party is insulting to Jewish people.
“And I know there are some Jews in this meeting who will say ‘No No I think it’s wonderful.’ This is a dangerous road. Do we really want us Jewish members to be seen as gatekeepers – as people who prevent others from discussing issues of importance? This is serious stuff, comrades.”
Ms Wimborne-Idrissi also claimed it was allies of the former leader, such as herself, who now felt uncomfortable in the party.
She said: “Yes, I feel uncomfortable. I feel bloody uncomfortable seeing damned good comrades and friends of mine being suspended from this party for doing nothing more than trying to discuss the questions which led to Jeremy Corbyn’s unjust suspension – we know it was unjust because he was readmitted – and then the question of the whip being taken from him which is almost certainly unconstitutional in the party.”
As a leading figure in JVL, Ms Wimborne-Idrissi has regularly spoken out to defend Mr Corbyn over the antisemitism crisis under his leadership.
She provoked anger in the community in February 2019, attacking the decision of the former Labour MP Luciana Berger to quit the party over antisemitism.
Speaking on LBC radio she defended Mr Corbyn over his response to the antisemitic mural in Tower Hamlets, which had been raised by Ms Berger.
Ms Wimborne-Idrissi said: "He thought the artist was being censored unfairly... If people were honest, including Luciana Berger, who dredged this up at the apposite moment to suit her anti-Corbyn agenda."
In a recent video, she claimed she was attacked for campaigning for the Palestinians with allegations she was “the wrong type of Jew, not a proper Jew” and “a kapo”.
Meanwhile in his own speech at Monday’s meeting, chair Mr Lefley openly attacked the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in his speech.
He said: “It is Keir Starmer, not Jeremy Corbyn, who is in breach of party rules. It is Starmer, not Corbyn, who is in breach of the EHRC report, where Ch3 page 27 explicitly defends the rights of party members to question the scale of antisemitism within the Party, based on their experience.
“It is Starmer, not Corbyn, who is in breach of the Human Rights Act 1998. It is Starmer, not Corbyn, who is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. And it is Starmer, not Corbyn, who has plunged the party into internecine warfare, when we should be exposing and combatting this vile class-driven, corrupt government, something we should have been doing for 11 months.”
The JC contacted Ms Wimborne-Idrissi and asked her to criticise Mr Lefley’s remarks, but she did not respond.
On Tuesday, Labour members confirmed to the JC that they considered the meeting to have been a “deeply unpleasant environment.”
They criticised the “combative” speeches of both the chair and vice-chair which “opened the floodgates” to further aggressive speeches at the meeting.
An earlier message sent to all CLPs by Labour General Secretary Mr Evans had noted that “it has become clear that motions around this issue (including expressions of solidarity, views around the ongoing process in relation to the Parliamentary whip, and/or the power of the General Secretary or the NEC to issue guidance in relation to discussion of this issue) are providing a flashpoint for the expression of views that undermine the Labour Party’s ability to provide a safe and welcoming space for all members, in particular our Jewish members.
“Therefore all motions which touch on these issues must be ruled out of order.”
On Thursday a Labour spokesperson told the JC: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate action is taken.”
The JC contacted Ms Wimborne-Idrissi and Mr Lefley for comment on their suspension.
