Yesterday, Ruth George issued an extraordinary statement about me, stating that I have committed a criminal offence. Nothing could be further from the truth.
It is a matter of public record that Ruth George has invoked an anti-Jewish racist conspiracy theory. Even the most cursory google search provides considerable evidence of her conduct:
“Ruth George sorry for claiming ex-Labour MPs may have Israeli backing” - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47296591
The following tweet, https://twitter.com/HighPeakTory/status/1097834572144889857?s=20, sets out what Ruth George stated. Despite her apology, it still raises the question, in saying “I would condemn the calling of anyone as an Israeli when it's not the case” – what is wrong with being an Israeli? Perhaps Ruth George could enlighten us?
“MP Ruth George 'shocked' by link to Hitler tweet” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-40338402
“JLM urges Labour MP Ruth George to call out councillor who shared neo-Nazi material MP condemned for failing 'to stand clearly in solidarity against anti-Jewish racism” - https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/jlm-demands-action-from-labour-mp-who-continued-to-embrace-member-who-shared-neo-nazi-material-1.484332
The catalogue of statements and apologies might in isolation be excused as a mistake, but this continues to happen.
Ruth George continues to be closely linked to others making outrageous statements, such a High Peak Labour’s “campaigner of the year” Rachel Abbotts who shared posts stating Jews had declared war on Germany in 1933 www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/labour-activist-rachel-abbott-shared-neo-nazi-material-about-how-jews-declared-war-on-germany-1.483859. Despite claiming that Ms Abbotts’ actions had been reported to the central Labour Party in February 2019, Ruth George and High Peak Labour supported her as a candidate for the Party in the May elections this year and Ruth George continues to campaign alongside her even now.
Ruth George has also defended Kasey Carver – The following Twitter threat highlights things she has said and done (including sharing articles which refer to the conspiracy theories about zionists controlling the media and ISIS being backed by Israel): https://twitter.com/NudderingNudnik/status/999987282709970945?s=20
These incidents were reported to Ruth George in 2018 and were acknowledged by her at the time: https://twitter.com/RuthGeorge6/status/1000378895311523841?s=20
However, Ruth George actively campaigned for Kasey Carver when she was standing as a council candidate in the local elections in May, even after her comments re-emerged during the campaign, High Peak Labour Party put out a statement defending Carver and failing to denounce her language - https://www.buxtonadvertiser.co.uk/news/people/high-peak-labour-branded-rotten-over-anti-semitic-social-media-posts-1-9733423
Kasey Carver has since taken up the role of the local Labour Campaign Coordinator, working to help get Ruth George re-elected.
In addition, I have been targeted by one of Ruth George's activists, former Labour councillor Nick Longos, who in the past has sent via social media:
• Accusations I eat babies
• Suggestions I am somehow linked to Benjamin Netanyahu (or Ben Notta Yoohoo as Mr Longos spells it)
• Changing my surname from Largan to “Herr Lagerman”
• Images of Mr Longos dressed in Orthodox Jewish attire
• References to Pontius Pilate
• Comments about "the wandering Jew"
• Images of the crucifixion
This was brought to Ruth George's attention. She has never publicly denounced the actions of Mr Longos. She did confirm that Mr Longos “would now not be welcome as a campaigner for Labour in High Peak” yet in the last week he has been seen delivering Ruth George's campaign literature and displaying a Labour poster outside of his house.
This underlines why I have every right to voice my truly held beliefs about Ruth George.
Ruth George's attempts to cow me from speaking out about her actions (and inaction) are deeply concerning and represent an attempt to curtail free and fair debate about a topic, anti-Semitism, that has been at the forefront of the coverage of the General Election (notably Jeremy Corbyn’s interview with Andrew Neil on Tuesday 26 November 2019, and refusal to apologise for anti-Semitism in the Labour Party following the public intervention of the Chief Rabbi saying the way the Labour leadership had dealt with anti-Jewish racism was “incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud – of dignity and respect for all people”). It is clearly a topic Ruth George does not wish to address, but rather than debate it she is seeking to close down debate by falsely stating that I have committed a criminal offence.
I have reported Ruth George to the police for an offence under s106 Representation of the People Act 1983 and reserve the right to pursue defamation proceedings against her.
High Peak deserves better.
