Angry exchanges over Calderdale Cabinet member’s campaign group role

The issue began in August, following Coun Jenny Lynn’s involvement in Halifax Friends of Palestine, which organised a protest rally and hit the headlines when Halifax Labour MP Holly Lynch, who was due to be one of the speakers, announced she would not be appearing and would not share a platform with one of the invited speakers.

The incident led to several Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians questioning Coun Lynn’s (Lab, Park) suitability for her role as Cabinet member for Public Services and Communities, raising concerns about elements of the rally, and others published on social media, which had been attended by Coun Lynn.

At September’s meeting of the full Calderdale Council, Liberal Democrat group leader Coun James Baker (Warley) raised the issue again and Coun Roger Taylor (Ind, Northowram and Shelf) has said he has lodged a formal complaint to the Labour Party about Coun Lynn’s attendance at rallies which Coun Taylor said included the chant of militant group Hamas and posters which were anti-semitic.

Coun Baker pressed Leader of the Council and Labour Group leader Coun Tim Swift (Lab, Town) on the issue again, alleging on September 14 Coun Lynn had attended a rally which called for the release of Zakaria Zubeidi who Coun Baker said was a militant commander who had been involved in acts of terrorism.

“Your Cabinet member responsible for community safety, who is there to look out for all the community, attended a rally calling for his release from prison, posed in front of placards that read ‘free Zakaria Zubeidi’.

“Do you as leader of the council really support members of your Cabinet attending rallies that call for terrorists to be released from jail?” he said.

Coun Swift said Coun Baker once again appeared to be misrepresenting both the purpose of the rally attended by Coun Lynn and her role in it.

“The facts are that Coun Lynn took part in a broad protest regarding Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

“There was a video on social media of Coun Lynn’s speech at the rally which was specifically about the issue of children and young people being imprisoned by the Israelis.

“He may also be aware that many people who express views about the Israeli-Palestine conflict have serious concerns about whether Israeli actions in this regard are in breach of international law.

“I believe that Coun Lynn should be judged on the basis of what she says and does rather than allegations about what others at an event may or may not have said or done, and suggest that if Coun Baker wanted to know what Coun Lynn thinks on issues relating to Palestine he talks to her directly,” he said.

Former Conservative Coun Taylor, who was embroiled in a political “Islamophobia” storm two years ago, referred to a report on the row in the Jewish Chronicle (JC) which referenced the Hamas chant and said: “That a senior member of Calderdale’s Labour Group is prepared to stand in support of this terrorist group really is beyond any semblance of balance.”

Coun Lynn said that she did not wish to comment further on the issue as raised by Coun Baker and Coun Taylor other than to add “there is nothing anti-Semitic about standing up for Palestinian human rights.”

She said previously: “There is nothing incompatible about my role as chair of a community-based organisation – Halifax Friends of Palestine – and my role in supporting all our communities, and I will stand on my record on that.”

* Support your Halifax Courier by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe