Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn ‘the most anti-racist leader this party has ever had’

• TO its criticism of the “press pack” (Postcard from Brighton: Chasing Corbyn for Twitter likes, September 26) must be added the press refusal to report serious censorship of academics critical of the media and massive support for Palestine in the Labour Party.

Conference overwhelmingly passed a motion calling for “an ethical foreign policy on all UK’s trade with Israel”, including arms; recognising the Palestinian right “to return to their homes” – denied since 1947.

One of the many standing ovations was for a delegate who said she was “one of thousands of Jews… who have never experienced any anti-Semitism [in the party] and who supports Jeremy Corbyn as the most anti-racist leader this party has ever had”.

Worth reporting was the launch down the road of Bad News for Labour: Antisemitism, the Party and Public Belief by Greg Philo of the Glasgow University Media Group et al.

The publisher, Pluto Press, described the book as: “…drawing on deep and original research on public beliefs and media representation… revealing shocking findings of misinform­ation spread by the press…”

Even more newsworthy was that Waterstones bookshop, where it was to be launched, cancelled at the last minute so that an alternative venue had to be found. Waterstones caved in to hostile attacks on social media including from Sussex Friends of Israel.

Greg Philo explained: “Pluto Press had been… told that the Brighton store had received a barrage of abusive emails, phone calls and tweets… and that there had been intimidation in the Brighton store… Academics from four universities are being stopped from discussing their research in a bookshop. It is only one step from burning books.”

It is terrifying that this serious incident of censorship goes generally unreported.

MICHAEL COLEMAN
KAY CHAPMAN
Hampstead & Kilburn delegates to Labour Party Conference