The Labour Party has suspended a decorated Member of Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council after he was accused of sharing antisemitic content on social media.
Cllr Ebrahim Dockrat MBE is under investigation by the Party, say the BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
He has also been criticised for liking a tweet by Jackie Walker, the former vice-chair of Momentum, who was expelled from the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn‘s leadership over claims of antisemitism.
Cllr Dockrat, whom is also Director of Commercial Services and Partnerships at Calderdale College, has, so far, declined to comment on his suspension.
The Labour councillor succeeded in a controversial by-election in Batley East in August, 2023, taking the seat of former councillor Fazila Loonat who was sent to prison for 14 weeks after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice as part of attempt to avoid a penalty points on her driving licence.
After being elected, Cllr Dockrat vowed a fresh start for his constituents: “It’s an incredible privilege to have been elected to represent my home town and I am really humbled by the scale of this result.
“I spent this campaign talking to people across Batley East about the fresh start that I want to deliver as a hardworking local councillor – and the fresh start that Labour wants to deliver across Kirklees and the country”.
A source close to the Labour Group in Kirklees claims that Cllr Dockrat had “undermined” colleagues by “grandstanding” on issues around the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“Many Labour Group members have been working together, making a positive difference and raising money for aid in Gaza.
“If Ebrahim had spent more time on this rather than grandstanding and undermining his colleagues he might not be in this situation.”
“The situation in Gaza and Israel is deeply upsetting and all of us in the Labour Party want the violence against innocent civilians to end immediately – but sharing antisemitic imagery is never acceptable.
“Labour condemns antisemitism in the strongest possible terms and it’s right that any complaints are investigated, taken seriously and dealt with appropriately.”
A Labour Party spokesperson added: “Under Keir Starmer’s leadership, the party has ripped out antisemitism at its roots. We will continue to fight antisemitism and all forms of hate speech every day of the week, it has no place in the Labour Party.”
The Gaza conflict had previously caused tension within Kirklees’ Labour Group when almost half of the councillors within it (nineteen including Cllr Dockrat), signed an open letter distancing themselves from Sir Keir’s comments made during an LBC interview about withholding power and water from Palestinians.
One Labour councillor said that their Leader, Cllr Cathy Scott, had told them they were at risk of suspension from the Party due to their actions.
Since then, the Labour Group has adopted a more collaborative approach to the issue, mirroring their counterparts at neighbouring Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, with a letter sent to Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, calling on the government to support efforts to put an end to the hostilities.
Deputy Leader of Kirklees Conservative Group, Cllr John Taylor, added fuel to the fire with this statement: “The residents of Batley East deserve better. One councillor jailed for perverting the course of justice to be replaced by claims of antisemitism, a matter of weeks in office.
“More evidence, if it were needed, this shambolic Labour-run council has run its course!”
Cllr Taylor appears to have forgotten that, in the recent past, one of his own Conservative councillors, Michael Watson, was suspended in similar circumstances. Liking on Twitter anti-Islam, anti-transgender and anti-asylum posts.
Cllr Dockrat’s past roles in public life include Chair of West Yorkshire Criminal Justice Board Diversity Panel and Chair of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Hate Crime Scrutiny Panels in Yorkshire and Humber.
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Page last updated: Wednesday 15th November, 2023 at 08h05
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