Labour’s War Against Wankers! Discussion of Masturbation is a forbidden topic but is it anti-Semitic?

Lee Rock has been told by Labour’s Disputes Committee that he's under investigation for discussing masturbation on Facebook!

You couldn’t make it up. Fresh from the moral panic that is Labour’s false anti-Semitism campaign, we now have the po-faced Acting Head of Disputes Committee, Nareser Osei, (does that mean the execrable Sam Matthews has gone?) writing to Lee Rock, a well known trade unionist and member of Sheffield Labour Party informing him that he has, apparently, breached Labour Party rules.

I have to confess a personal interest in this.  When I was young I was solemnly informed by my father, a Jewish rabbi, that masturbation was not only a sin (naturally) but would also make me blind.  As far as I know I still have my sight!

‘These allegations relate to your participation in an extended debate on a Facebook group in which you argued in favour of mastburbation in workplaces.’

Is there, I wondered, a Labour Party rule against wanking? Or maybe just one against wanking at work?  Is there a code of conduct? And then I wondered.  Perhaps it is anti-Semitic to talk about wanking? No it’s not as strange as you think. Have you never read Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth, a book which outraged polite society? 

Gershom Scholem, Israel’s Professor of Mysticism described Portnoy’s Complaint as “the book for which all anti-Semites have been praying”. So you see, if the anti-Semites love this book it must be because it is anti-Semitic. Ipso facto masturbation must be anti-Semitic!!

It is also about the joys of masturbation so it really is quite reasonable to assume that wankers are anti-Semites and even more so those who advocate it (or tolerate it) at work.

Philip Roth's book that outraged decent society, Zionists included

I was thinking of asking Margaret Hodge for her opinion, but given her record in supporting child sex abuse I thought better of it.

I am surprised that the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism hasn’t include masturbation as an illustration of anti-Semitism e.g. 'Accusing Jews of being wankers’.  It’s more reasonable than the rest of the illustrations. 

Enough of this. In the Left Unity Members, Supporters and Friends Facebook Group over 3 years ago, before Lee was even a member of the Labour Party, he participated in a discussion on wanking at work. One might have hoped that the Chakrabarti recommendations for a 2 year moratorium on social media commens to be observed.

On the Labour Against the Witchhunt website there is a good article by Carla Roberts entitled Has the Labour witch-hunt climaxed? (I think that’s a pun but I better err on the side of caution given Margaret Hodge is active these days).

The background to the Facebook debate was the ex-MP Simon Danczuk MP having been caught out accessing hard-core porn sites. He openly had to admit that he watches porn and of course the media feigned outrage.

Owen Jones, who as Carla points out was then “still almost relevant”, wrote an article, in which he asked, “Why should we care?” He pointed out that we are all “flawed human beings” and that we should criticise Danczuk’s rightwing politics not his personal habits.

This however really upset some radical feminists (who are now called Terfs – trans-exclusionary radical feminists). All Mothers Work, published an article attacking Owen Jones’ description of Danczuk’s behaviour as “normal”. It described people who access porn at work as “unstable perverts” presumably as opposed to stable perverts!

I have to confess, being somewhat naive. I didn’t know that 30% of the population admit to wanking at work which another questionnaire put it at 39%.  I must confess it has never appealed to me but if you're bored...

Somebody posted the article in a Facebook group and Lee argued that what people do in private in a toilet cubicle is their business. The result was a long debate with over 150 comments – which is still online.  It has even produced its own satirical blog post. The exchange is also available on the Labour Party Marxists website.

Lee’s view can be summed up as: “If the person next to me at work goes to the loo, I really don’t care if they have a shit or a wank.” Lee Rock did not positively “argue in favourof masturbating in workplaces”, as Ms Osei claims in her letter.

Morality police?

The point however is a serious one. Lee is under investigation not for committing any offence, but for arguing that what one does in the privacy of a toilet cubicle should not be viewed as a criminal offence– especially not one that would lead to the ‘perpetrator’ being “removed from society”, as the terfs’ article demanded.

This reminds me of the bad old days when the Police would hang around public toilets in plain clothes trying to entice gay men into committing an offence of gross indecency. It seems the prudish Osei, who is a Newham councillor, belongs to that tradition. That feminist morality guardians would be outraged is one thing but that the Labour Party should launch an investigation over this issue is mind-boggling.

We note that masturbating at work is, of course, not illegal. It might be a sackable offence, but only if (a) you have been caught in the act (lock the door?) and (b) your employer thinks you’ve broken one of their rules – for example, by taking too much time over it!

You may have difficulty fighting a claim for unfair dismissal but unless you’ve done something crassly indecent, there would be plenty of mitigating circumstances: stress levels at work, family risk of prostate cancer (which, according to medical advice, can be reduced by masturbating a few times a day) etc. Some psychologists and doctors even argue that employees should be positively encouraged to engage in auto-eroticism at work, as it can be a very effective form of stress-relief that also increases production levels.

Like tens of thousands of others, Lee Rock only joined Labour in July 2016, in order to support Jeremy Corbyn. In other words, his comments were written 15 months before he even joined. On what possible basis is this ‘investigation’ being conducted?

It is difficult to take this case seriously but given the current climate we should not assume that it will simply be dismissed. Yes, Jennie Formby and Gordon Nardell are way to the left of those rightwing scumbags Iain McNicol, Stolliday and co. but the witch-hunt is not over. Unfortunately Corbyn and his allies are still trying to appease the right, despite all the evidence showing that it does not work (Margaret Hodge’s attack on Corbyn for being a “fucking anti-Semite and racist” on July 16 being a case in point).

The letter to Lee states that “the general secretary has appointed Charlotte Walker, investigating officer, to arrange conduct of the party’s own investigation”. We cannot be sure if Formby is aware of idiot Osei’s letter or has read the whole thread on Facebook. If she has then shame on her for wasting members’ money  launching this nonsense investigation. If she has not read it, then shame on her for not putting more effort into preventing such ludicrous allegations being made. Not all idiotic allegations which are made are followed up by an investigation. Some are dismissed at an early stage as this one should have been.

Lee  Rock is only the latest case in a long list of leftwing activists targeted by the Labour Right. Somebody must have put in a considerable amount of time and effort to find this particular online thread. Did they read all of Lee’s posts from the last three years and if so why? If Labour’s disciplinary process was governed by natural justice Lee would have been told who his accuser is. It seems there is still no real change in the disciplinary process

Left target

What is the real reason that Lee Rock has been targeted? I can only assume that it is because he has played an important role in organising the left across Sheffield and made plenty of enemies in the process. Together with former Labour NEC member, Unite’s Martin Mayer, he has set up Sheffield Labour Left List, which organises the left across all six local CLPs (this has become even more important since Momentum Sheffield has been taken over by the Lansman right). He was also a key figure campaigning for Jared O’Mara, the first Labour MP ever elected in Sheffield Hallam, transforming the local CLP in the process, which is now firmly in the hands of the left. More recently, he helped to stop the planned transformation of the district Labour Party into a mere cheerleading club for local councillors.

Now that Jared O’Mara has resigned from the party, potential candidates from the left and right are falling over each other to replace him as parliamentary candidate, with numerous rightwingers joining Momentum to look like they are pro-Corbyn (ironically O’Mara was also subject to discipline for inappropriate comments made on social media more than a decade ago, when he was in his early 20s). Maybe somebody, somewhere feared that comrade Rock might throw his hat in the ring – at least among local leftwing Labour Party members, he would be a popular choice.

This is happening all over the country. False accusations of bullying and harassment are launched just in time to stop somebody becoming a candidate or to prevent members from voting at a crucial meeting. It is old-style machine politics. For the individual concerned, however, it is deeply unpleasant and often traumatic with their personal reputation publicly tarnished or even destroyed. They might be cleared afterwards, but suspicions often remain.

We presume that Lee’s accuser is hoping that the NEC will find that he has “brought the party into disrepute”, in order that he can be expelled. This is how the Right got rid of Tony Greenstein and Marc Wadsworth, after all it’s a beautiful catch-all phrase that can cover a multitude of sins.

Nevertheless, Lee has been told that he is not suspended from membership. A change from the past and maybe a sign that Formby and Nardell are reforming the disciplinary process. However, this small step forward is almost entirely cancelled out by the very fact that there is an investigation. It clearly needs to be shut down, now, accompanied by a public apology and action taken against those who have made this vexatious complaint. Wanking at work

The Zionist Attacks on Gordon Nardell QC, Labour’s newly appointed lawyer, demonstrate their contempt for the Idea of Innocent until Proven Guilty

If there’s one thing the Tories & Zionists can’t stand it is Natural Justice, Due Process and Fairness

Beware the rubber backbones of Corbyn and Formby – the pressure on Nardel to ‘resign’ will be immense

The appointment of Gordon Nardell QC has outraged the merchants of anti-Semitism

It must have sent the Israel lobby and the Tory press into apoplexy.  Having invested a small fortune in time and money in waging the false anti-Semitism campaign, having gathering ‘evidence’ that the Labour Party is ‘riddled with anti-Semitism’, having waged a bogus war from John O’Groats to Lands End on Jeremy Corbyn, having successfully intimidated Corbyn into confessing that there are non-existent ‘pockets’ of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, to say nothing of John McDonnell ‘weeping’ over non-existent anti-Semitism, what do they go and do?  They appoint a Jewish lawyer and QC who is not only of the Left (strange that in the Labour Party) but one who believes in justice!!  Even worse, the man isn’t a Zionist.  Oy vei some might say.

That well known anti-racist paper the Sun was apoplectic. In the neutral and unbiased tones for which it is justly famous, its headline ran ‘Leftie lawyer hired by Labour to oversee anti-Semitism cases is ‘friends with anti-Jewish activists’.  In the Sun’s eyes those who are accused of anti-Semitism must be guilty as charged.   The job of Labour’s lawyer is to ensure that the bogus charges stick not to pussy foot around with notions of due process and natural justice.  The Sun, lest anyone forget, is the paper which has employed the two most racist ‘journalists’ in Britain – Richard Littlejohn and Katy Hopkins.  However when it comes to ‘anti-Semitism’ the Sun is with the best of them.

Lucian Berger is worried that natural justice and due process may form a part of the disciplinary processes in Labour - the sooner this racist is deselected the better

Luciana would prefer a safe Tory pair of hands - a left wing lawyer is not to her taste

Luciana Berger, who was Director of Labour Friends of Israel for 3 years before becoming an MP, let it be known that she had ‘no faith’ in Nardell, which to most people must be a good thing. Berger, being a member of LFI, made no complaint about the tweet a month ago which blamed those who were murdered in Gaza by Israeli snipers for their own deaths.

Civil Liberties group Liberty have rejected the IHRA definition of antisemitism

What is even worse is that Nardell believes that you cannot use the discredited International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism (which the civil liberties group Liberty has just rejected). Whereas the Oxford English Dictionary definition of anti-Semitism takes just 6 words ‘Hostility to or prejudice against Jews’ the IHRA definition takes up some 450 words.  This is necessary in order to conflate anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism.

The Jewish Chronicle's take on Nardell's appointment

The Jewish Chronicle, never one to let a bogus allegation of ‘anti-Semitism’ pass by unnoticed, could barely constrain its anger. Not being a great believer in separating new and comment out, it led with a headline (as if British Jews have no other problems) ‘Gordon Nardell, lawyer dealing with Labour antisemitism, to adopt only part of broader Jew hate definition - Respected QC will not use IHRA definition of antisemitism.  

As the respected former Appeal Court Judge, Sir Stephen Sedley, who is himself Jewish, wrote in London Review of Books, [Defining Anti-Semitism] the purpose of the IHRA definition of ‘anti-Semitism’ is 

“to conflate the two [anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism] by characterising everything other than anodyne criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic’  Further  ‘what is new is the adoption by the UK government (and the Labour Party) of a definition of anti-Semitism which endorses the conflation.’

The OED definition of antisemitism is just 6 words - the Zionists prefer a definition of 450 words 

 The appointment of Gordon Nardell throws a spanner in the works. Zionists are not interested in genuine Jew hate, on the contrary they spend much of their time these days demonstrating alongside anti-Semites and fascists. [see The Zionist – Fascist Alliance was Consummated at the Al Quds Demonstration].  When fascist groups from Britain First to the EDL, British National Party and Tommy Robinson fall over themselves to express their admiration for Israel and Zionism, as the only state which truly oppresses Muslims and Arabs, you might think that those concerned with anti-Semitism would turn their attention elsewhere. 

When every self-respecting fascist and anti-Semite, from Marine Le Pen of France to Geert Wilders of The Netherlands to Heinz Christian Strache of Austria say how much they love Israel then you might think that our Zionists might show some humility.  When the founder of the alt-Right in the USA, the movement that helped bring Trump to power, neo-Nazi Richard Spencer declares that he is a ‘White Zionist’ you would expect the Zionists to keep a low profile.

Instead we have this utterly false and fake campaign of ‘anti-Semitism’ directed at the Labour Party.  It is to Corbyn’s eternal shame and McDonnell too, that instead of standing up to this campaign they have given in to it, almost oblivious to the fact that it is they, not me or Jackie Walker or Marc Wadsworth, who are the main targets. We are simply collateral damage.

The artificial campaign against Gordon Nardell is simply the latest instalment of the fake anti-Semitism campaign.  The Zionists characterised Chakrabarti’s Anti-Semitism Report as a whitewash not because it was hostile to Zionism, quite the contrary but because it argued for due process and natural justice in Labour Party disciplinary procedures.  Even though Chakrabarti herself abandoned this when she pushed for Livingtone to be expelled, the fact is that natural justice is the last thing the Zionists want. The whole basis of this false anti-Semitism campaign rests on people being expelled for artificial trumped up reasons.

Collier's outrage is a good reason to keep Nardell

David Collier with Brian Thomas, who has recently organised a 'Free Tommy Robinson' demonstration outside the British Embassy in Tel Aviv

Another person who is outraged is Tommy Robinson supporter David Collier. Collier, who is a far-Right Zionist, makes Netanyahu seem a moderate.  He denies that there is any such a thing as Palestinian refugees, who whom he refers in the third person as 'it'.  He is of course outraged by the appointment of Nardell.  He would prefer the appointment to be left in the hands of the Israeli Embassy.

It is of course understandable that Luciana Berger and Ruth Smeeth prefer Israel’s form of justice whereby political critics are simply locked up without trial, however so far in this country there is still a presumption of innocence.

Collier and Mad 'Mel P'

Collier with Britain First member Paul Besser (in blue anorak)

I was expelled for ‘abusing’ Louise Ellman – calling her a supporter of Palestinian child abuse was apparently an attempt to ‘shame her (not that she has any shame).  Marc Wadsworth offended  Ruth 'liar' Smeeth by pointing to her links with the Daily Telegraph.

If Labour's disciplinary processes are to be fair then the MPs who support LFI should have the whip withdrawn

This is what the campaign against Gordon Nardell is about and my great fear is that Corbyn will once again cave in just as he did with Christine Shawcroft, who Corbyn personally told to resign, and Ken Livingstone with whom he did likewise.  Together with Jenny Formby, Corbyn and McDonnell believe that if they appease the Zionists and Labour Friends of Israel,  they will be left alone.  They are mistaken.  Feeding sharks only increases their appetite. In the words of John Donne, ‘don’t ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.’

By supporting Gordon Nardell we are, despite Corbyn, supporting Jeremy Corbyn.

Tony Greenstein