Statement on Chris Williamson

Fiona Sharpe, spokesman for Labour Against Antisemitism, said:

“The decision of Labour’s NEC ruling body not to allow Chris Williamson to stand as the Labour candidate for Derby North is too late in coming and totally inadequate. Mr Williamson should have been expelled from the Labour Party years ago, when his views first started appearing in public.Instead the Labour Party appeared to drag its feet and, in our opinion, failed to take the appropriate action - an appalling demonstration of the alleged institutional racism now being investigated by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Acting at the eleventh hour in this haphazard way just appears to show that the Labour Party can’t be trusted to protect the minority communities it purports to stand up for.”