Controversial Labour activist to speak in Portsmouth

Jackie Walker, a member of the Jeremy Corbyn-supporting campaign group Momentum, was suspended from her party over comments about anti-Semitism in 2016.

Now she is due to perform a one-woman show about the scandal at the Fratton Rail Social Club.

Her performance is being hosted by the Portsmouth Momentum and Portsmouth Palestine Solidarity Campaign groups.

The Kent-based activist, who was removed from her vice-chair position at Momentum last year, had said she ‘hadn’t found a definition of antisemitism she could work with’ and made comments about Holocaust Day.

Jenny Flintoft, steering committee member of Portsmouth Momentum and secretary of Portsmouth Palestine Solidarity Campaign, has said Jackie ‘did nothing wrong’.

She told The News: ‘We feel that her expulsion from the Labour party was completely unjust. If you knew Jackie as I did it’s absurd to say she’s anti-Semitic — she’s half Jewish.

‘I don’t think she did anything wrong at all.’

She said Jackie was invited to a meeting with the Jewish Labour movement.

Jenny added: ‘It was a training session they invited her along to — she complained because the definition they offered of antisemitism she found completely unacceptable because they regarded as it not legitimate to criticise the state of Israel.

‘Her view is it’s legitimate to criticise any state.

‘They managed to trap her into saying she “hadn’t found a definition of antisemitism she could work with”, omitting the word “here”.’

Momentum’s steering committee found she had not been anti-Semitic.

Ms Walker’s show, The Lynching, sees the audience act as a jury while her mother ‘comes to life’ defending her actions.

All are welcome at the performance at Fratton Rail Social Club, in Selbourne Terrace, on Monday at 7.30pm.are welcome.