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Labour MP Lisa Forbes, who won the Peterborough by-election on Thursday, is facing a backlash from within the Labour Party after it emerged she had liked Facebook posts that were accused of being anti-Semitic.
It was revealed this week that Ms Forbes had liked a post saying Theresa May had a “Zionist Slave Masters agenda” alongside a video of children praying after the New Zealand terrorist attack.
In another comment she said she had “enjoyed reading” a thread claiming Islamic extremism was created “by the CIA and Mossad.”
Ms Forbes has since apologised for her actions, claiming she had liked the video of the praying children and not the text.
After her win in the Peterborough by-election, she said on Friday that anti-Semitism is “abhorrent”.
But her election has prompted further concerns about anti-Semitism within the party with Ilford North MP Wes Streeting saying he had “given up any hope that the Labour leadership is serious about tackling anti-Semitism.”
He added: “They’re welcome to prove me wrong. I haven’t given up hope that the new MP for Peterborough can be true to her apology. Based on everything else I know about her I really hope she does.”
And Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips wrote on Twitter: “Lisa ignored and endorsed anti-Semitic things, I’ll take her explanation and apology at face value & look forward to her proving as others have that actions not excuses alone can heal. But with every case the parties values chip away and our ability to stand up against hate erodes.”
Jewish groups called for the party to disown Ms Forbes after the revelations emerged, saying refusing to do so would “only confirm the Party’s shameful descent into the racist mess for which they are now being investigated by the EHRC.”
Ms Forbes won the seat by a narrow 683 votes, beating her closest rival from the Brexit Party and pushing the Conservatives into third place.
Labour won 10,484 votes to the Brexit Party’s 9,801, with the Tories on 7,243 votes in a seat which has traditionally been a two-way Conservative-Labour marginal.
Jeremy Corbyn said it was a “great win” and represented a rejection of the Conservatives’ “disastrous” handling of Brexit.
Labour former minister Dame Margaret Hodge, who has clashed with Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism, wrote on Twitter: “Seriously mixed feelings about the Peterborough result. I never want to see Nigel Farage’s party in Parliament.
“But Lisa Forbes & the Labour Party have a lot to answer for. We must learn lessons & never have a repeat of this. Have formally raised concerns with party leadership.”
Shadow policing minister Louise Haigh, who worked on Lisa Forbes’ campaign, wrote that it was “extremely upsetting for all of us involved when the posts that Lisa had mistakenly engaged in came to light.
“They were thoroughly unacceptable and I know she sees that and is truly sorry.
“But I know that’s nothing to how the Jewish community has suffered and has been hurting as Antisemitism has become more and more widespread.
“I know Lisa will engage and learn and that she can be a true ally.
“I believe she will be a fantastic voice for Peterborough but she knows she can only achieve this if she has the full confidence of the Jewish community and that she regains their trust. This will take work.”
The by-election was called after Peterborough’s previous MP Fiona Onasanya was forced out after she was jailed for lying about a speeding offence.
Ms Onasanya was elected as a Labour MP in 2017 with a wafer-thin majority of 607 but was suspended from the party after she was sentenced.
