Rachel Riley and Tracy Ann Oberman threaten action over ‘horrendous abuse’
Both have repeatedly clashed with Labour supporters, particularly over Jeremy Corbyn's handling of antisemitism allegations within Labour.
Countdown co-presenter Rachel Riley and former EastEnders actor Tracy Ann Oberman have threatened legal action against Twitter users who allegedly targeted them with “horrendous abuse” and harassment.
Both have repeatedly clashed with Labour supporters, particularly over Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of antisemitism allegations within Labour ranks.
Their lawyer Mark Lewis on Thursday said he was preparing to take potential action against up to 70 people for alleged libel or harassment of Riley and Oberman.
Riley said: “I have been advised by my solicitor that it would be inappropriate to make any comment.
“He is instructed to take such action as necessary in response to the horrendous abuse, libel and harassment that I have been subjected to.”
Lewis said he was contacting “between 60 and 70 people” who are “almost exclusively Labour supporters”.
He said: “I have been instructed by Rachel Riley and Tracy Ann Oberman to take action to enforce libel and harassment laws against people who have libelled and/or harassed them.”
Both have been left “quite clearly distressed” by the comments, he added.
Mr Corbyn this week reiterated that fighting antisemitism was an “absolute priority”, adding: “We are utterly determined to root out antisemitism from Party and our society.”
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.
