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Equality champion Trevor Phillips claims he was suspended from Labour by party ‘gangsters’ in ‘Corbynista payback’
EQUALITY champion Trevor Phillips claims he was suspended from Labour by party "gangsters" in "Corbynista payback".
The 66-year-old anti-racism campaigner now faces an investigation and could be booted out of the party.
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Many of the comments are said to date back years, but General secretary Jennie Formby claimed “urgent” action was needed “to protect the party’s reputation”.
Her explanation comes as the party is being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a group he previously chaired.
Writing in the Times today, the lifelong anti-racism campaigner accused the Labour party of going after him for revenge.
He said: "Some will see it as payback by Corbynistas for public criticisms I made of the leadership's failure to tackle antisemitism in the party.
"Another possibility is that it's an attempt to scare the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which I used to lead and which is investigating Labour's handling of anti-Semitism.
"Weaponising Islamophobia to attack political opponents may seem like clever tactics but trying to intimidate a legally independent organisation is pure political gangsterism."
Speaking this morning, he explained the suspension came as a shock.
He said: “I’m kind of surprised that what is and always has been an open and democratic party decides that its members cannot have a healthy debate about how we address differences of values and outlook.
“They say I am accusing Muslims of being different. Well actually, that’s true. The point is Muslims are different. And in many ways I think that’s admirable.”
The comments that sparked his suspension are said to include concerns over Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs.
Mr Phillips is the former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Concerns were previously raised about Muslim grooming gangs and sympathy shown in opinion polls by some Muslims towards the Charlie-Hebdo attack in Paris in 2015.
In 1997 the anti-racist campaigner helped pass a law protecting Muslims from incitement.
Last year he called Labour’s inaction on anti-semitism “shameful”.
He said he would not vote for the party in solidarity with British Jews.
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Khalid Mahmood, a Muslim Labour backbencher, told The Times: “The charges were so outlandish as to bring disrepute on all involved in making them.”
He was also defended today by Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, who questioned the speed of the charge.
The Exeter MP tweeted: "This swift action against Trevor Phillips is in stark contrast to the complete lack of action against anti-semites I & many other Labour MPs have reported repeatedly to @JennieGenSec & who remain Labour members."
Mr Phillips now chairs Index on Censorship, a not-for-profit group that campaigns for and defends free speech.
The suspension means he cannot attend meetings or run for office.
A Labour Party spokeswoman said: "The Labour Party takes all complaints about Islamophobia extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken."
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