The Labour Party has so far declined even to comment on Barry Sheerman’s ‘silver shekel’ tweets, except to say Sheerman was sorry and had deleted them. Sheerman has apologised and admitted they were offensive:
I apologise for my earlier tweet. I did not intend the meaning which has upset many, and I am very sorry for the upset and offense I have caused. I will think more carefully in future and will reflect on this.
I have fought anti-semitism all my political life and have been a Labour Friend of Israel since joining as a student at the LSE. I am deeply sorry that my clumsy tweet has caused offence.
But Sheerman has also said, in a message to local members that he was “intending to liken the places in the Lords as a ‘thirty pieces of silver’ type of reward” – and had gone to extra lengths to look up the currency of Israel during the time of Jesus:
This alone is an unpleasant thing to say but I tried to be too clever and looked up the currency that might have been used 2,000 years ago, and found information suggesting it was the shekel.
I used this in my comment. In a separate comment, I also chose two rich businessmen who have received negative press attention as examples of the types of people being raised to the Lords by the government. It never entered my head when I was making that comment that the two people I mentioned were Jewish.
I can see how offensive my comments have been, given this, and I am profoundly sorry. It was never my intention to make any implication about Jewish people, and I am horrified that I inadvertently did so.
Sheerman’s offensive comments this week are not the first time he has been criticised for offensive comments online. In 2012, he complained that his food servers had not been English:
The tweet, which remains online as of the time of writing, caused considerable outrage and led to accusations of racism:
Keir Starmer has tweeted today about racism, saying it has no place ‘online or anywhere in our society’ – but so far has not commented on Sheerman’s conduct, let alone acted to discipline him:
Starmer’s stance on racism can only be credible if he demonstrates that it applies across the board, not just against left-wing former front-benchers.
But his lack of action in the Sheerman case reinforces the impression, created by his comments on the Black Lives Matter movement, his failure to act on racism revealed in the leaked report about former Labour HQ staff and his decision to let shadow minister Steve Reed’s ‘puppet master’ comments about one of the same Jewish businessmen slide, that he is perfectly willing to be selective when it comes to so-called ‘zero tolerance’.
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And the MSM didn’t dogpile him either?
Understandable I guess – they must be exhausted after their four year crusade and taking a well-earned rest. I say ‘earned’ but I’m not implying they were bought and paid for, obviously.
But if that evil Corbyn ever rises again…
Sheerman doesn’t threaten the imperialist consensus-. He doesn’t promote socio-economic reforms either.
the media has no quarrel with him. Or Starmer. Nor does the Israeli Embassy or LFI, both thrive on the anti-semitism that it takes hard work and idiotic bigots like ( Iove my bacon bap) Sheerman, to keep alive.
We all knew that there was no ‘antisemitism’ problem in the Labour Party. Just as we all knew that there is a massive anti-Islam problem in the Tory Party. So did the media, but their remit is to defend imperialism and protect capitalism and if they are told to do so by lying about anti semitism they will. And they will laugh about it afterwards and between themselves.
Too true. Next time it’s going to be no more Mr Nice guy and they are going to take the gloves off. Thank heaven’s for MSM and Auntie who will always tell us how it really is. ☮️
When you think you can’t get any more disillusioned with the Labour party, Sheerman says hold my beer.
Forensic st
The Knight is on a mission to destroy the Labour party.Does that not seem obvious to anyone that knows his supporters and those that bankroll him.He has already done more damage to the Labour party than Tony Blair did in ten years,At least Blair only took the silver coin after leaving the leadership..!The knights been “at it” only weeks and look at the damage caused.,most of it permanent.
No, Joseph, his ‘mission’ – along with the MSM and the Establishment et al – is to completely eradicate the left from politics. But just out of curiousity, could you elaborate about all this damage you claim he’s done to the LP since elected leader.
You ALSO imply that Blair hasn’t been playing a major roll in all the smears and demonisation and character assassination that’s been going on for the past five years. Of COURSE he has, and I have no doubt whatsoever that he has been at the center of it all, albeit mainly in the background of course.
Stammer making a token whimper about anti-black racism to cover for his woeful disingenuous lack of consistency on antisemitism – which has come from a fellow ‘centrist’.
Oh, I DO beg your pardon; he bent his knee the other week, didn’t he? Solidarity with those BAME folks who he wants to pay their outstanding rent when they’re f**Ing skint or face eviction.
Solidarity with those BAME teachers (As well as everyone else) who he wants to throw into a potentially unsafe working environment.
Solidarity with the Ethiopian jews, treated like shite in Israel by their ‘fellow countrymen’…Oh, hang on, I haven’t heard THAT one from the rest of them, have YOU?
Cannon fodder.
There is real poverty; lack of opportunity & no social mobility in many deprived, poor areas of ‘Great’ Britain. It is not simply a race issue, but part of the class struggle that the Labour Party was created to combat. Even the ‘deplorables’ have a right to sing the blues, but there is only one song in town as dictated by MSM & the same institutions that crucified JC (Jeremy Corbyn).
Well done Steve. Race is an important and essential issue but it will always be the class struggle. We keep forgetting that little point and we keep getting battered. I speak as a non white, or whatever I must call myself, member of the working class. Forgetting little things like that continue to be self destructive; losing elections, wage cuts, job losses and fear of poverty, all these hover over us like a thundercloud. It’s only started to drizzle. Max is no saviour but a Judas. ☮️
Hew is an anti-socialist. Why on erarth would Sturmer want to act against an ally?