The Leader of the Opposition in the Welsh Parliament has expressed “shock” at the news that Mark Drakeford is featuring in the same line-up as infamous left-wing figures thrown out of the Labour Party for their association with anti-Semitism.
The First Minister of Wales and Leader of the Welsh Labour Party will be speaking at “The World Transformed” event in Brighton, at the same time as the UK Labour Party conference.
He will be speaking alongside Jeremy Corbyn – who lost the Labour whip for his response to a Equality and Human Right Commission report into the party where he denied the alleged scale on anti-Semitism – and film director Ken Loach who was thrown out of the Party.
Mr Loach has previously confirmed that he was expelled for his membership of the proscribed Labour Against the Witch-hunt group, known for dramatically downplaying the extent of anti-Semitism in the Party. Challenged in 2017 about whether he supported Holocaust deniers speaking at the Labour fringe, Mr Loach responded: “History is for all of us to discuss.”
The Wales Against Antisemitism group tweeted: “Why does Mark Drakeford, as First Minister of Wales, think it appropriate to speak at this event, given antisemitism controversies involving many of his fellow speakers?”
The First Minister has also failed to respond to Jewish News’ approach for comment.
The World Transformed is marketed as a “welcoming space for a new generation of young activists who supported Corbyn’s leadership” but feel “increasingly alienated” by Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour.
Also featuring on the line-up is former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, MP Zarah Sultana, and Baroness Chakrabarti who authored the report that “whitewashed” the problem of anti-Jewish sentiment in the Labour Party.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies MS, said:
“Given he is the leader of the Welsh Government and Welsh Labour, you would think Mark Drakeford would have no truck in attending a counter-event at his own party’s conference, hand-in-hand with cranks thrown out of that very party for their association with anti-Semitism?
“This demonstrates a huge lack of judgment and sensitivity on the First Minister’s part – how will Wales’ Jewish community feel in seeing him cosy up with those who have shown disregard to the very real presence of the world’s oldest form of racism in the Labour Party?
“Drakeford’s actions begs the question of why he thinks it is appropriate to make friends with those Sir Keir Starmer has said has no place in the Party. Is there trouble in paradise between the UK and Welsh leaders given the event is for those who feel ‘increasingly alienated’ by Starmer’s leadership?”
