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Feb 2024

Last Updated: 19/02/2024

Andrew Jones MP says Lib Dems 'must have known' about local leader's anti-semitic tweets

by John Plummer

| 19 Feb, 2024

Andrew Jones MP has questioned why the Liberal Democrats failed to act sooner on anti-semitic posts by the leader of their party in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The Lib Dems today cut ties with Cllr Pat Marsh, who represents Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, after she described Jews as “vile” and “horrendous” in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter.

It has since emerged Cllr Marsh's X account contains hundreds of similar comments about the Israel-Gaza situation dating back a month.

Conservative MP Mr Jones said:

“Cllr Marsh chose to express herself in clearly antisemitic terms. It is reasonable to assume that because of the repeated language she uses over a sustained period that these are her real views.

“I was shocked and appalled by her views. I was shocked too that she has been doing this nearly a month and it seems no-one in the Liberal Democrats sought to stop her from doing so or questioned it.

“They must have known; she has hundreds of followers on Twitter among them were senior local Liberal Democrats. She has secured invites as her civic guest to constituency events for Tom Gordon, their parliamentary candidate. She was the most senior elected Liberal Democrat in Harrogate and Knaresborough chairing the planning committee and the area committee. They must have known."

Mr Jones added he had raised concerns previously with Lib Dem leader Ed Davey about a breach of councillor standards by Cllr Marsh. He said:

"Since December last year I have written to him four times identifying appalling behaviour by other local Liberal Democrats too. He didn’t even reply to my letters. Perhaps he might reflect on that.

“There was an opportunity for him to act on these complaints and sort out the problems which have taken hold of the local Liberal Democrats of which these tweets are the most serious and appalling manifestation.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Gordon, who will bid to unseat Mr Jones in Harrogate and Knaresborough at the next general election, if he wished to respond to his rival's comments. We also asked Cllr Bryn Griffiths, the leader of the Lib Dems on North Yorkshire Council.

We received a response from a party media spokesperson saying:

"Ms Marsh was removed from her role in the party long before Andrew Jones made a comment. Andrew Jones had never raised these appalling remarks with the Liberal Democrats, until this afternoon in a press comment.

"These antisemitic views have no place in our party or our country."

The Lib Dems also flagged up a tweet by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism, which commended the Lib Dems on its "swift and decisive handling of this matter".

'I have not been treated fairly'

Cllr Marsh, a former Harrogate borough mayor and councillor for more than 30 years, criticised the Lib Dems after the party disowned her.

She told the Stray Ferret:

"Obviously I do not feel I have been treated fairly by a group who believe in freedom of speech.

"I believe I have every right to express my feelings. I cannot watch the slaughter of 14,000 children and say nothing. I want the world to come together to stop this now and get a safe resolution for all."

Anti-semitism campaigner Steve Cooke highlighted Cllr Marsh's tweets today.

[embed]https://twitter.com/Steve_Cooke/status/1759545576939475419[/embed]

Although Cllr Marsh is no longer part of the Lib Dem group, she remains a North Yorkshire councillor.

Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, suggested Cllr Marsh's comments could be criminal.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“I think the tweets she has made may be criminal, that’s for others to investigate and decide. I would think she should consider her position. The comments I have seen are outrageous and offensive.

“I understand a number of complaints have been made to the monitoring officer. I don’t follow Pat Marsh’s Twitter account so I haven’t seen these before, but I understand there is a number of them.”

Chris Watt, who hopes to get the Labour Party nomination to stand against Conservative Julian Smith in Skipton and Ripon at the next general election, said:

"We are appalled by Cllr Marsh's racist comments and the material she has reposted in support of.

"Antisemitism has no place in our society and it's clear she can no longer represent the local community. Her lack of recognition of the harm she has caused only makes matters worse. She should resign immediately."

Lib Dems axe Harrogate and Knaresborough leader over anti-semitism row

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Andrew Jones MP says Lib Dems 'must have known' about local leader's anti-semitic tweets

'I have not been treated fairly'

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