RACHEL Riley troll suspended by Labour after TV star accused of ‘prostituting’ Jewishness
A RACHEL Riley troll who accused the Countdown star of “prostituting” her Jewish heritage has been suspended from the Labour party.
Rachel Riley discusses being trolled over anti-Semitism tweet
Bob James, from Clwyd in north-east Wales, attacked the 32-year-old in a series of Tweets where he claimed accusations of anti-Semitism were used as “a weapon” against Labour. He accused the Countdown star of using her influence as a popular celebrity to “undermine the Labour party” and “promote self interest”. Ms Riley, whose mother is Jewish, has previously criticised Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of the issue of anti-Semitism in the party.
Mr James, a member of the Alyn and Deeside constituency party in north Wales, made the offensive comments back in December, The Mail on Sunday reports.
He said: “You have prostituted your religion, poisoning the memory of your ancestors who suffered greatly.”
In another post he wrote: “I think Riley is using her influence as a popular celebrity to undermine the Labour party.
“Her method, though, using her Jewish heritage to promote self-interest, is appalling.”
The Labour party activist has now been suspended by the party after admitting to sending numerous abusive messages to Ms Riley.
But Mr James denied being anti-Semitic.
The TV presenter has previously been vocal over Labour’s handling of antisemitism, claiming its “beyond a shadow of a doubt” the Party is anti-Semitic.
She accused Mr Corbyn of “giving a legitimate voice to Holocaust denial” and “sharing platforms with terrorists” in a Channel 4 interview.
Ms Riley said she has been subject to daily abuse as a result of being so outspoken.
She said: “This is happening behind closed doors, it is happening to a lot of people.
“I think people genuinely don’t understand the scale.”
On February 17 seven MPs quite the Labour Party with several citing anti-Semitism amongst their reasons.
Luciana Berger, MP for Liverpool Wavertree, said she could not “remain in a party that I have today come to the sickening conclusion is institutionally anti-Semitic”.
Days later Ian Austin MP, son of a Holocaust refugee, left Labour commenting: “I could never have believed I would be leaving the Labour Party because of racism.”
In the coming days Labour will learn if it will face a full-scale investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into how the party has dealt with anti-Semitic allegations.
Labour fervently denies accusations it is institutionally anti-Semitic.
The Party has claimed its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is a “militant opponent of anti-Semitism".