An employee of the Iranian regime’s banned broadcaster Press TV was able to participate in and film a ‘no confidence’ vote against the MP who heads Labour Friends of Israel after joining her constituency association.
Roshan Salih, who works for the Islamic Republic broadcaster which was banned in 2012 for repeated violations of the broadcasting code, is reported to have joined the Enfield North constituency association in London several months ago, and took video and pictures of an unfolding ‘no confidence’ vote in the constituency’s pro-Israel MP, Joan Ryan.
Ryan, who has been critical of Labour’s hard-left, pro-Palestine leader Jeremy Corbyn — who has previously taken thousands of pounds from Press TV, even after it was banned — ultimately lost the vote 94-92.
“I’m horrified that [the Iranians have] infiltrated the Labour party in this way and I think it needs to be investigated, because it is incredibly serious,” the MP remarked.
“I’m proud of my values and I don’t expect to be the toast of the mouthpiece of the Iranian regime,” she added.
Ryan took to social media to confirm: “Just to be clear I will not be resigning. I am Labour through and through and I will continue to stand up and fight for Labour values.”
The ‘no confidence’ vote is not binding on the Enfield North MP, although it could serve as something of a preliminary to a formal deselection process — part of what has been described as a purge by hard left and anti-Israel entryists since Corbyn’s ascent to power.
Corbyn himself defended the vote against Ryan: “Every party has a right to question what its MP does. Every party has a right to challenge them on what they do and how they represent the area and that’s exactly what happens in those areas as I understand it,” he said.
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