The video will start in 8 Cancel

Sign up to receive two FREE daily bulletin e-mails, as well as breaking news as it happens Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A Labour candidate in Belper has been suspended from the party after allegedly sharing anti-semitic posts on social media.

Neil Ploughman, who is an Amber Valley Borough Council election candidate in the Belper Central Ward, is also the Derbyshire branch chairman of the trade union Unison.

Mr Ploughman denied ever having made the alleged posts on social media, saying that they included words he would never use and claiming that hacking may be involved.

He confirmed to Derbyshire Live that he had been suspended by the Labour Party.

If elected, Mr Ploughman would stand as an independent.

It is now too late for the Labour Party to re-select a candidate for Belper Central or for ballots to be updated to list Mr Ploughman as an independent.

(Image: Derby Telegraph)

The Labour Party says an investigation is under way and Mr Ploughman will remain suspended until it has concluded.

Mr Ploughman says this could take up to a year.

A formal statement on the issue was provided to Derbyshire Live on Mr Ploughman’s behalf.

In it, Mr Ploughman called himself a “lifelong campaigner against racism”.

He said: “It pains me that anybody should believe I was trying to deliberately minimise the pernicious and cancerous nature of anti-semitism.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.

“All complaints about antisemitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken. We can’t comment on individual cases.

(Image: PA)

“Individuals who are suspended from the party can’t stand as party candidates.

“Due to electoral laws, those who are suspended after the deadline can’t be removed from the register, but they are not party candidates.”

A spokesperson at Unison East Midlands said: “We take all complaints very seriously and we will investigate fully. This matter is still being looked at. It is not possible to comment further.”

The candidates for Belper Central on Thursday, May 2, are: Jeremy Richard Benson, Liberal Democrat; Steve Kennedy, GreenParty; James Daniel Kerry, Conservative; and Neil Ploughman, Labour.