Lord Sugar deletes tweet depicting Jeremy Corbyn alongside Hitler following criticism
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell criticises the peer for the controversial post as he defends it as a 'joke'
Lord Alan Sugar removed a controversial tweet depicting Jeremy Corbyn sat in a car alongside Adolf Hitler, following criticism Labour MPs.
The former Labour peer, shared the image with his 5.5 million Twitter followers as Mr Corbyn battled to get a handle on the anti-Semitism row that enveloped the party.
The businessman, who was born into a Jewish family, tweeted “many a true word spoken in jest Corbyn” alongside the image, which carried the caption “when you’re pictured at Nuremberg and claim you thought you were going to a car rally”.
Following the tweet, Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell urged him to remove it, adding that “people have contacted me about Alan Sugar’s tweet”.
“I just make this appeal to him. Please delete and disown it. We all desperately need to bring people together now. We can hold strong views about each other’s politics but now is the time to learn from each other and unite people.”
Lord Sugar subsequently replied to McDonnell, after the tweet was removed, saying: “Dear Mr McDonnell. I am sorry you are offended by my retweet on the picture. First let me say I am not the originator it has been doing the rounds. You need to get Corbyn to make a firm statement about antisemitism. There is no smoke without fire in Labour”
Two Labour MPs condemned Lord Sugar for the tweet, including Chris Williamson, who last month was criticised for sharing a platform with suspended Labour member Jackie Walker.
He said the peer has brought his position into disrepute, saying the post “promotes hatred and that is irresponsible”. Before Sugar deleted it, Williamson called for him to “swallow your pride… and make a fulsome apology”.
Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism John Mann said the tweet was libellous and Lord Sugar “might find it sensible to reword or remove it”.
He tweeted: “The use of Hitler/ Nazi comparators is demeaning, unwarranted and dangerous. You damage the fight against anti Semitism with this @Lord_Sugar. Withdraw this and apologise please.”
Lord Sugar said the post was “a joke” and the “angry brigade like to moan”.
The Apprentice personality resigned from the Labour party in 2015 in protest at its stance on business.
The use of Hitler/ Nazi comparators is demeaning, unwarranted and dangerous. You damage the fight against anti Semitism with this @Lord_Sugar. Withdraw this and apologise please. https://t.co/JsqnohTf63
— John Mann (@JohnMannMP) March 30, 2018
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
