Conservative MP hires former Labour councillor with history of inflammatory comments about Jews
A Conservative MP has hired a former Labour Party councillor who has a history of making inflammatory comments about Jews.
Paul Bristow, the Conservative MP for Peterborough, hired Ansar Ali, who used to be a councillor for Peterborough City Council, according to the JC.
Mr Ali was suspended from the Labour Party in 2021 whilst under investigation after he posted that he was “boycotting the biased BBC” because the broadcaster “didn’t want to upset the Zionist Israeli government lobby”. Mr Ali was reinstated to the Party after it concluded its investigation.
The Labour Party is alleged not to have investigated other social media posts that he published, such as one in 2017 linking to an article asking, “How many British MPs are working for Israel?” which he described as “interesting and thought-provoking”, and another from 2016 referencing “Nazi-Zionist collaboration”.
Mr Bristow has acknowledged that whilst he was aware that Mr Ali had been suspended by Labour due to accusations of antisemitism, he had not “closely checked” what prompted the investigation. Nevertheless, according to Mr Bristow, Mr Ali “regrets deeply this social media activity and now sees clearly why it is antisemitic”.
Mr Bristow added: “In an environment where material such as this (and worse) is being shared openly, he should have known much better.
“I know some will disagree with my decision to give Ansar a chance to make amends. People may be disappointed. I understand this. But I am convinced that Ansar will stand with me in the fight against hatred and antisemitism. He will use his experience and mistakes as lessons for others.
“Ultimately the proof will be in actions, not words, and I look forward to this being demonstrated. By having his support, I will make a bigger difference than asking him to walk away.”
Mr Bristow also recommended that local politicians in the area undertake antisemitism training: “I think all councillors in Peterborough need to go through antisemitism training as a matter of course. We have a deserved reputational issue. We owe it to Peterborough to address it.”
Mr Bristow also confirmed that Mr Ali will remain working for the Conservative Party in his role as a translator and caseworker for Mr Bristow’s constituency office.
Mr Ali said: “In the past I have commented and shared social media posts that I now fully understand would have caused hurt and distress to members of the Jewish faith. This was wrong, and I deeply regret any hurt I have caused to the Jewish community and others.
“I have always considered myself someone who works to bring diverse communities in Peterborough and beyond together. These specific examples of social media activity fell well short of this aspiration.
“I shall work to ensure all community leaders strive to eliminate antisemitism and all forms of racial hatred and division wherever it is expressed. I aspire for a just and peaceful world where humanity comes first. Justice for All. Love for all, hate for none.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.
Image credit: Twitter via the JC
