Jim Sheridan has been branded “an unrepentant antagonist of the Jewish community”, following his appointment as the depute leader of Renfrewshire Labour.
In a cutting statement, President Marie van der Zyl, of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, has slammed the former MP’s “promotion”.
Councillor Sheridan replaced Derek Bibby at the group’s recent AGM, following his return from a Labour Party suspension in January for alleged anti-Semitic remarks made online.
He had said in a Facebook post last August: “For all my adult life I have had the utmost respect and empathy for the Jewish community and their historic suffering.
“No longer due to what they and their Blairite plotters are doing to my party and the long suffering people of Britain who need a radical Labour government.”
President van der Zyl said the appointment of Jim Sheridan - who she called “an unrepentant antagonist of the Jewish community” - was “another sad reminder of the Labour’s shameful record on anti-Semitism.”
She continued: “He was reinstated from his suspension in January, showing no remorse, and now has been promoted to a senior local authority post.
“Labour increasingly gives out the message that anti-Jewish racism, far from being a problem, is a route to career advancement.
“It is this culture which is rightly under the spotlight under the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s inquiry into Labour’s anti-Semitism, which makes it the second party after the British National Party to face such a probe.”
When contacted about the statement, Councillor Sheridan refused to comment.
However, Councillor Eddie Devine, leader of the Labour group, said: “I don’t know President Marie van der Zyl, so I’ve not got any comment to make about her.
“Neither myself or anybody I know are anti-Semites.”
Will Little, a Labour member, spoke at the party’s conference on eradicating anti-Semitism and has urged councillors to take part in diversity training.
He said: “The issue is far bigger than one individual and it’s sickening that the lack of action by the party hierarchy has resulted in the scourge of anti-Semitism reaching the boundaries of Renfrewshire.
“Unfortunately, the views of some within the current Labour group do in no way reflect the views of local members.
“Labour members in Renfrewshire recently fought for diversity training, with a focus on anti-Semitism, to be rolled out to Labour elected representatives all around
Scotland.
“I would hope that the leader and new depute leader of Renfrewshire Labour will be amongst the first to voluntarily take up this training.”
Councillor Devine responded: “We have already written to the Labour Party to say that we would be amongst the first groups to have the training session.
“We would be happy with that and have made that commitment.”
