Councillor Anne Pissaridou resigns as committee chair following complaint
Following her administrative suspension from the Labour Party, Councillor Anne Pissaridou has today resigned from her position as Chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee with immediate effect.
A complaint was being made to the national Labour Party about two posts shared on social media in 2016 and 2018 by Councillor Pissaridou which are alleged to contain antisemitic content.
The national Labour Party will now carry out an investigation to look into the matter and until this is resolved Councillor Pissaridou has been suspended.
In line with national Labour Party policy, Councillor Pissaridou remains a member of the Labour Group but she is barred from attending meetings or speaking on behalf of the Labour Group.
The council’s Labour Group has also asked that Councillor Pissaridou stands down from all her positions on committees and working groups that she holds. Councillor Pissaridou has agreed to this with immediate effect.
Council Leader Nancy Platts today said she was deeply sorry to the Jewish community on behalf of the council’s Labour Group.
“On behalf of the Labour Group, I am deeply sorry to the Jewish community for the hurt these posts have caused. All councillors have a responsibility to actively tackle and challenge all forms of racism and I expect nothing less from members of my own Group.
“We are a City of Sanctuary, and we have pledged to become an actively anti-racist council. I hope our actions, which go further than the national Labour Party’s, demonstrate our absolute commitment to tackling antisemitism."
Councillor Gary Wilkinson as Deputy Chair of the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee will take the lead on issues relating to the committee for the time being.
The council’s memberships remains as follows:
· 20 from the Labour Group
· 19 from the Green Group
· 13 from the Conservative Group
· 2 independents