When it became clear that Labour had fallen far short of its overhyped expectations in the local elections, I tweeted this:
https://twitter.com/JournoStephen/status/992317867004657664
I would now like to retract, but only in one instance. Adam Langleben, councillor for West Hendon in Barnet, lost his seat on Thursday. Given Barnet’s sizeable Jewish population, and Labour now being the Hampstead Hezbollah, in all likelihood his party’s antisemitism cost him re-election. Which is perverse since Langleben has been one of the bravest partisans in a counter-insurgency of Jews determined to expose and expel antisemites from Labour’s ranks.
His has been a clarion voice for justice and decency in a party which has shown little of either to its Jewish members or the wider community in recent years. While the leadership provoked Jewish voters, and the bold backbenchers managed a few tersely-worded tweets, a North London borough councillor tried to give his party the moral leadership it lacks.
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