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Labour Leader Sacks Corbynite Rebecca Long-Bailey for Sharing 'Anti-Semitic' Conspiracy Theory

© AP Photo / Kirsty WigglesworthRebecca Long-Bailey
Rebecca Long-Bailey - Sputnik International
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Rebecca Long-Bailey stood against Sir Keir Starmer in the Labour Party leadership election earlier this year. She is a left-winger who was very close to former leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has fired Rebecca Long-Bailey from his Shadow Cabinet for sharing an article containing "anti-Semitic conspiracy theory" on Twitter.

Earlier on Thursday, 25 June, the Shadow Education Secretary shared an article in The Independent which contained an interview with Labour-supporting actress Maxine Peake. 

In the article Peake said: "The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services."

The Independent reporter added, in brackets "A spokesperson for the Israeli police has denied this, stating that "there is no tactic or protocol that calls to put pressure on the neck or airway'."

​Long-Bailey tweeted: "Maxine Peake is an absolute diamond."

​But she later retweeted a clarification and said she did not intend to endorse "all aspects of the article."

Sir Keir Starmer, who has promised to stamp anti-Semitism which plagued the party under his precedessor Jeremy Corbyn, said the article had contained an 'anti-semitic conspiracy theory'.

​He then added: "As leader of the Labour Party, Keir has been clear that restoring trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority. Antisemitism takes many forms and it is important that we are all vigilant against it."

​Long-Bailey stood against Starmer in the leadership election earlier this year and was then given a senior job in the Shadow Cabinet.

Her dismissal could carve open the divisions between the left and the right of the party.

​Many people on social media have already come out in support of Long-Bailey, but most Labour MPs are keeping quiet on the subject.

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