Tuesday 6 August 2013

David Ward and Jenny Tonge

Why is David Ward MP being given more generous treatment by the Liberal Democrat leadership than Baroness Tonge, when his transgression would appear to be more serious? He has had the parliamentary whip withdrawn, but only temporarily. Jenny Tonge was not only stripped of her front-bench position in the Lords, but also virtually forced out of the party.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/international/tonge_20040217.shtml

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jul/18/david-ward-whip-israel-apartheid-state

Israel is hardly an apartheid state, though there is racial discrimination, as there is in the UK. It is not institutionalised as it was in South Africa or even in the USA until recently. There is as much discrimination against other Jews as against Palestinians.

At no time did Jenny Tonge put blame on "the Jews", which Ward has done. On the other hand, Ward has not criticised the actions of the Israeli government. One can assume that it is more serious to attack Likud than to be vocally anti-semitic, or that Clegg is eyeing the thin majority in Bradford East, George Galloway and Respect having won a by-election in Bradford West.



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