Setting the scene
Ruth Smeeth, a former Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, has been a controversial figure in British politics for several reasons. Her tenure in Parliament and activities outside of it have sparked intense debate, drawing both support and criticism.
Ruth Smeeth was elected as a Labour MP in the 2015 general election. Her constituency, Stoke-on-Trent North, had traditionally been a Labour stronghold. Smeeth’s background before entering politics included work in public relations and with various organisations, including the British Foreign Policy Group and Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism advocacy group.
Anti-Semitism Allegations and the Labour Party
Ruth Smeeth’s stance on anti-Semitism within the Labour Party has lead to her association with the right wing Zionist lobby being revealed. Smeeth, who is Jewish, has been a vocal critic of the party’s handling of anti-Semitism complaints, particularly during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. However, she failed to make it clear that many of them occurred when Ed Miliband was leader of the party.
In 2016, during the launch of the Chakrabarti Report on anti-Semitism within the Labour Party, Smeeth walked out of the event after an incident involving a Labour activist, Marc Wadsworth, who she ‘felt’ had made an anti-Semitic remark. Wadsworth was later expelled from the party.
This Marc Wadsworth:
Smeeth’s actions and subsequent media coverage highlighted deep divisions within the party over the issue of anti-Semitism and how it was used to bring down an anti racist party leader.
A few years ago an elderly black Labour Party activist raised the question whether this Labour MP was too close to our right wing press. See below.
— Openly Classist ☮️Ⓐ❋🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇵🇸 (@OpenlyClassist) August 5, 2024
He was expelled for that and @Keir_Starmer recently promoted her to the House of Lords. https://t.co/JBGTYDvg7h pic.twitter.com/xLAh0oZk9v
Accusations of Disloyalty and Links to Israel
Smeeth’s critics have accused her of disloyalty to the Labour Party, alleging that she has been more focused on undermining Corbyn’s leadership than on party unity. These accusations have been fuelled by her connections to Jewish organisations and her strong support for Israel, which some on the left of the party perceive as conflicting with Labour’s pro-Palestinian stance.
In a particularly notorious incident, Smeeth was named in a leaked report by the pro-Corbyn group Momentum, which suggested she was part of a group of MPs trying to destabilise Corbyn’s leadership. This led to a torrent of abuse directed at Smeeth with many arguing that she was a Zionist agent working to undermine the party on behalf of the Israeli state.
Defeat in the 2019 General Election
Smeeth’s controversial tenure came to a head in the 2019 general election, where she lost her seat to Conservative candidate Jonathan Gullis. The loss was part of a broader trend of Labour losing seats in its traditional heartlands, often referred to as the “Red Wall”. While multiple factors contributed to this shift, Smeeth’s high-profile clashes over anti-Semitism and her stance on Brexit (she supported a second referendum) were seen as significant factors in her defeat.
Ruth Smeeth’s political career has been marked by her strong support for Israeli Zionism, making her a contentious figure within the Labour Party. Her actions have drawn both admiration and criticism, reflecting the broader debates within British society and politics about the influence of Israel, and the future direction of the Labour Party.
Ruth Smeeth was rewarded for losing her seat by Keir Starmer and elevated to the House of Lords.
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