Labour launch probe into council candidate accused of ‘pure and simple’ anti-Semitism

Labour bosses have launched an investigation into a council candidate accused of "pure and simple" anti-Semitism over social media posts.



Evangelical vicar Liam Moore will be probed over comments he posted about “Rothschild Zionists” on his Facebook page.

Mr Moore, who has been selected to stand as a council candidate in the safe Norris Green ward in Liverpool, also compared critics of the party’s handling of anti-Semitism to Judas.

In August he posted on Facebook: “We are seeing a very English right wing Zionist coup mate and sadly the Labour party is infiltrated by sell-outs who would sacrifice a Labour government for their 30 pieces of silver."

And in July 2014 he posted on Twitter that “Rothschilds Zionist run Israel and world governments”.

Earlier this year he got into a Twitter spat with Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger after she welcomed the party’s pledge to be tougher on anti-Semitism, asking her: “What’s your view on Zionism and Netanyahu’s ideology of pushing the Palestinian people into the sea?”

The comments, uncovered by The Sun, could breach the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism adopted by Labour earlier this year which forbids its members from holding Jewish people to account for the actions of Israel.

Labour MP Ian Austin said the decision to put Mr Moore forward for the seat was a “disgrace”.

He said: “Talking about the “Rothschilds” and “world government” conspiracies is anti-Semtism pure and simple.

“Someone with views like this should not even be in the Labour party, let alone be selected as a candidate and the party and the leadership need to deal with it immediately.”

Under Labour's rules Mr Moore could face expulsion if an internal party committee deems his comments to be anti-Semitic.

Mr Moore is the latest local government figure to face investigation from the party.

In July, Shropshire councillor Ioan Jones was placed under investigation after PoliticsHome found he had shared social media posts comparing the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler and accusing investment banker Jacob Rothschild and his family of “financing both sides of every war since Napolean”.