Labour candidate stands down after ‘comparing Israel to a child abuser’

A Labour candidate has reportedly quit following the emergence of a blog post likening Israel to a child abuser.

Kate Ramsden – who was running for Gordon in Scotland – appears to have stood down after claims that anti-Semitism smears against Jeremy Corbyn were being ‘orchestrated by the wealthy establishment’ came to light.

According to the Jewish Chronicle, she previously wrote of Israel: ‘To me the Israeli state is like an abused child who becomes an abusive adult.

‘Like child abuse it has to stop… as we intervene with child abusers the international community needs to intervene with Israel.’

She added: ‘Like many abusers, unable to reflect on their own abuse, and ending up recreating it in the abuse of others, exerting their power in those weaker than themselves because once they were the powerless.’

Ms Ramsden, who campaigns heavily on the Israel-Palestine conflict, also reportedly said Palestinian activists were ‘targeted with spurious allegations of antisemitism’ on a weekly basis.

Now, according to the newspaper, Labour say the Unison official has decided not to stand because of ‘personal reasons.’

A party source told the Chronicle: ‘We took immediate action to have Kate Ramsden’s candidacy reconsidered in light of the material that we found.

‘Staff in Labour HQ found these posts when conducting extra due diligence checks. Staff immediately alerted Scottish Labour, who informed the Scottish Executive Committee, which decided to re-interview Kate Ramsden about the new posts.

‘Kate Ramsden stood down as a candidate and is therefore not a Labour candidate in the election. The party took swift and robust action on this matter.’

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has said Labour has done ‘everything asked of it’ by the Jewish community, amid accusations of anti-Semitism in the party.

Gordon is currently held by Conservative Colin Clark, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, who unseated former First Minister Alex Salmond at the last election.

He had a majority of more than 2,500 over the SNP at the last election, with Labour a distant third.

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