Labour party suspend would-be Chesterfield councillor for anti-semitic tweets

Sharon Wall stood as Labour’s Chesterfield Borough Council candidate for West ward in the 2015 General Election, coming sixth with 1,008 votes.

But in a letter seen by the Derbyshire Times, two weeks ago Labour bosses at the Party’s Westminster HQ informed her that she had been suspended following complaints about a series of tweets that were deemed to be ‘anti-semitic’.

She has subsequently resigned her Labour Party membership.

Toby Perkins MP, Labour’s Member of Parliament for Chesterfield said: “It is right that the party fully investigate any serious allegations of this nature.

“ I was shocked by the content of some of the tweets that have been brought to my attention and they have no place in our party or in political discourse.

“The party has fairly been criticised for being slow to respond to some cases historically.

“But I am glad that there now seems to be more appropriate action being taken to make Labour a zero tolerance party regarding all forms of racism.

“We can’t demand high standards of our political rivals or anyone else unless we take action ourselves, so it will be reassuring to my constituents to see that the party considers this to be a serious disciplinary matter.”

As Ms Wall has resigned her membership the allegation will not be investigated further but will remain on file in the event that she was ever to apply to rejoin the Labour Party.

The tweets were highlighted by a Twitter user under the name of Sami Samiv and was sent to party bosses after Ms Wall indicated her intention to stand as a Labour Party candidate in future elections.

The tweets, along with the account they appeared on @QianYu61, have since been deleted.

Mr Perkins added: “It is important that candidates that represent the party don’t have the stain of anti-semitism against them.

“I am confident that the high standards now being demanded will be applied to any candidates who represent the party in Chesterfield.”

The Derbyshire Times has contacted Sharon Wall for comment.