Labour apologises to party’s Corbynista youth chair for tweets OPPOSING transphobia
Transgender caller tells Jeremy Vine 'proud to be English'
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Sir Keir Starmer’s party said an investigation into Jess Barnard was launched by mistake because it was trying to clear a mass of complaints. The backtrack came after Ms Barnard, a self-titled socialist and trade unionist, revealed she was under investigation for “hostile or prejudiced” behaviour.
The Guardian reported that she received a letter on Friday telling her she was under investigation for conduct that “may reasonably be seen to demonstrate hostility or prejudice based on age; disability; gender reassignment or identity; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; or sexual orientation”.
The investigation related to two tweets from last year, the documents reportedly said.
In one, she said she was blocking “Terfs” – short for “trans-exclusionary radical feminists,” a term sometimes used by campaigners for trans rights to describe their opponents.
Another tweet took aim at a Labour councillor, telling him: “I just won’t be intimidated into giving transphobes energy.”
Almost as soon as it was launched, Labour announced that it had dropped the probe.
It said that the notice was seemingly not issued under normal procedures, and the circumstances are being looked into.
A Labour spokesperson added: “We apologise unreservedly to Jess for the hurt and upset this has caused.”
But this didn’t stop it attracting outrage from across the party’s hard-left.
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Loudmouth commentator Owen Jones tweeted: “Labour targeted its most prominent young member for supporting trans rights – whilst embracing bigots in its ranks – and then U-turned after a social media backlash.
“What a total shambolic mess.”
Ms Barnard later tweeted: “I have received an email rescinding notice of investigation against me.
“Thank you everyone for your solidarity and for my legal team for such swift action.
“We need a full investigation, urgent intervention against transphobia and an end to hostility towards young members.”
The news comes shortly after Ms Barnard was engaged in a public spat with Labour’s general secretary David Evans.
She claimed that Young Labour had not been given the support from Mr Evans that it needed to hold an event at the party’s upcoming conference.
In a series of tweets, she claimed to have been Jeremy Corbyn would not be allowed as a speaker.
The party has since said that the former leader would be able to address conference fringe events.
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