The newest member of Labour’s ruling national executive could be removed for orchestrating a behind-the-scenes smear campaign against her opponent.
Jasmin Beckett, a psychology student at Liverpool, won the youth representative seat on the NEC by less than one per cent of the vote last week, after a hotly contested battle with James Elliott from Oxford University.
Miss Beckett is accused of breaking Labour’s rules during the campaign by labelling Mr Elliott an antisemite and urging her followers to spread reports of his conduct. The Times has obtained Facebook messages in which Miss Beckett wrote to her followers: “And at the end of the day do you actually want an antisemite as NEC rep?? Think people need to know.”
She also pointed to a Times report last month which revealed that an article by Mr Elliott in 2014 had sparked controversy. He had written in the Oxford Student: “Antisemitism is a tired old accusation from Zionists, retreating behind mendacious slurs.”
He has denied antisemitism. Miss Beckett told her supporters: “Yes share it. They don’t think twice about sharing something when it’s about me/us.”
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Miss Beckett won with 49.55 per cent of the vote, beating Mr Elliott on 49.41 per cent. Her victory was seen as a triumph for the moderate wing of the party since she is backed by the centre-right Labour First organisation while Mr Elliott is backed by the Unite union and Momentum, the pro-Jeremy Corbyn campaign group.
The issue is important because the NEC is split almost evenly between supporters and opponents of Mr Corbyn and the body will play a pivotal role in deciding the future of the party.
Pointing to the screen shot of the Times coverage, which refers to Mr Elliott’s 2014 article and a row about alleged antisemitism at Oxford University, Miss Beckett told supporters: “It’s that screen shot that people are sharing if anyone wants to publicly share/question it!”
Such comments could break Labour rules about bringing the party into disrepute. They state: “No member shall engage in conduct which in the opinion of the NEC is prejudicial, or in any act which in the opinion of the NEC is grossly detrimental to the party.”
Miss Beckett was contacted, but was unavailable to comment.