Key Corbyn ally Christine Shawcroft resigns after defending council candidate who called Holocaust ‘a hoax’

‘Had I seen this image, I would not have requested that the decision to suspend him be reconsidered,’ says Christine Shawcroft. ‘I am deeply sorry for having done so’

Christine Shawcroft (BBC)

The chair of Labour’s disciplinary panel has resigned after only two months amid allegations of antisemitism.

Christine Shawcroft, a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, said she was “deeply sorry” after it emerged she had questioned the suspension of a Labour council candidate accused of posting a Facebook article describing the Holocaust as a “hoax”.

The Momentum director took over as head of the Disputes Panel on Labour’s ruling body in January, after ousting long-standing chair Ann Black. The move that gave Mr Corbyn and his allies greater control over the party machinery.

A leaked email, obtained by The Times, appeared to show her questioning the candidate’s suspension as claims of antisemitism were taken out of context. A Labour source confirmed the email to The Independent.

In a statement, Ms Shawcroft said: “I sent this email before being aware of the full information about this case and I had not been shown the image of his abhorrent Facebook post.

“Had I seen this image, I would not have requested that the decision to suspend him be reconsidered. I am deeply sorry for having done so.”

She added: “This week we have seen a clear expression of the pain and hurt that has been caused to Jewish members of our party and the wider Jewish community by antisemitic abuse and language, and by the reality of antisemitism being denied and downplayed by others.

“In light of this, I have decided to stand down as Chair of the Disputes Panel to ensure my wrong and misguided questions on this case do not cause doubt or anxiety about our processes.

“We must eliminate antisemitism from our party and wider society. To do this we must make sure our processes are as robust as possible and have the faith and confidence of our members.”

The news will heap pressure on Mr Corbyn in a week when hundreds of people marched on Parliament urging him to root out antisemitic abuse in Labour ranks.

The Labour leader also had to apologise personally for defending an antisemitic mural with a caricature of Jewish bankers playing a game on the backs of oppressed people.

News of Ms Shawcroft’s resignation prompted furious calls for her to resign from the Labour Party.

Labour MP John Mann, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on antisemitism, said it was an “attempted cover-up”. He added: “Momentum should expel Shawcroft tonight and demand her expulsion from the NEC and party.”

Jennifer Gerber, from Labour Friends of Israel, also called for her to be expelled: “Those who defend Holocaust deniers should have no place in the Labour Party.”