Nadine Dorries Anti-Semitism Stupidity

As Parliament goes into recess for the summer, we are treated to constant reminders of why some individuals should never have been allowed near the Palace of Westminster in the first place. And there is no finer example of this genre than the Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire (yes, it’s her again) Nadine Dorries, who has decided to give Labour both barrels over claims of anti-Semitism, only to shoot herself firmly in the foot.

The fragrant Nadine had already covered herself in rather more than confusion by accusing the Electoral Commission of “institutional bias” over its handling of Vote Leave’s role in the referendum campaign. That they concluded that Vote Leave had broken the law was, to her, unconscionable, but not because she supported them, oh no.

So unlike her fellow Tory MPs Priti Patel and Lucy Allan, who merely donated to the crowdfunder for Vote Leave and BeLeave worker Darren Grimes, she decided to put the boot in as well. “I’m donating to help Darren. It’s time to expose institutional bias” she declared. That earned her a referral to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

But this was a mere hors d’oeuvre for a much more substantial entrée: Ms Dorries has once again decided to riff on the theme of anti-Semitism. First, she rallied to the cause of Labour MP Sarah Champion, whining plaintively “Labour MP being hounded out of office for naming and shaming Rotherham sex grooming gangs. Momentum fully taken over Labour and the purging has begun. Jews first. Critics. It’s like 1939”.

But Ms Champion is not being hounded out of office, and no purging has begun. Still, onwards and, er, onwards, eh? Next, she pretended to have witnessed the exchange between Margaret Hodge and her party leader Jeremy Corbyn. “This is terrifying and dangerous. Anti semitic Labour Party, persecuting Jews in its own way in 2018. I witnessed this - by exit doors of noe lobby. No stronger an exchange than many MPs have. This action is evil in intent. Labour coming for the Jews and next it will be who?”

Evan Harris - target of vicious anti-Semitic smears

Well, Ms Dorries would know all about anti-Semitism, as she has dabbled in it in the past, something with which Zelo Street regulars will be familiar. She viciously smeared former Lib Dem MP Evan Harris by calling him “Dr Death”, the nickname of a Nazi concentration camp doctor. Dr Harris, as she knew at the time, is Jewish.

As can be seen, her Twitter outbursts on the subject are still extant. “Everyone calls Evan Harris Dr Death. I always will due to his obsession with ending people's lives via abortion/euthanasia … Evan Harris is a humanist and humanists support this … why do people wonder at his Dr Death Moniker” she trilled. Very deliberately.

But not everybody called Dr Harris by that name, because not everybody indulged in casual anti-Semitism, then later faced the other way for party political advantage. And, in any case, Ms Dorries has not freed herself from this unfortunate tendency even now.

So it will surprise no-one to see her commenting on an anti-Brexit meeting outside a shadow cabinet meeting “Paid for by multi millionaire, George Soros?” OH DEAR!

David Campbell Bannerman was not alone. Tory anti-Semitism is alive and well, and the party leadership will be doing nothing about it. Stupidity, meet hypocrisy.