Semi-detached Labour MP Kate Hoey, who represents the unfortunate voters of London’s Vauxhall constituency, had almost vanished off the day-to-day political radar recently - until she committed a single rash act which once again calls her judgment into question. Such is her enthusiasm for slagging off those who do not share her views on the EU that she has just endorsed someone so poisonous they have had two Facebook bans.
There at the top of her Twitter feed as I type is a video generated by one Avi Yemini, a name which should have sounded alarm bells in the head of any politician with brain plugged in and a hole in their backside. Because Yemini has not only flown in from Australia to give his support to Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, but he also has a track record that makes lamentable reading.
We know this as the presence known as Otto English has set out Yemini’s roll of shame, the lowlights of someone the Australian Jewish Democratic Society has described as “the online equivalent of racist street thugs charging onto train carriages and attacking the first Muslim they see”. This “contributes to a culture of Islamophobia and hate that is not limited to online hate speech. It spills over into physical violence and verbal harassment in cities and towns across Australia.” That’s who Kate Hoey has endorsed.
As Otto English points out, Yemini “is known in Australia for consorting with neo-nazis, Islamophobes, anti-semites (despite being Jewish) and other nasty elements”. And, yes, “Yemeni is an associate of Yaxley Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) who welcomed his arrival on London on his FB page”. He’s supporting Lennon at his trial tomorrow, and will be teaming up with the equally obnoxious Ezra Levant.
So the question had to be put. “Since arriving in London Yemeni has met with Anne Marie Waters and attempted to stir up trouble at Speaker's corner. My concern is this. Why has this well known agitator been allowed into the country? And why is @KateHoeyMP retweeting him?” Actually, it wasn’t Yemini’s Twitter feed Ms Hoey was Retweeting - but the video in the Tweet concerned had Yemini’s name prominently displayed on it.
As to those Facebook bans, the background is once again both fascinating and worrying. “On a final note Yemeni holds the distinction of being banned by Facebook twice. Once for Islamophobia and once for anti-Semitism. The second of these extraordinary when you consider that he himself is Jewish and an Israeli citizen”.
And for those claiming that Yemini should be accorded journalistic privilege, Otto had this to say: “Avi Yemeni is not a journalist. He's a racist troublemaker who has come to the UK with the desire to stir up trouble”. Small wonder that representatives of Melbourne’s Jewish community concluded that “Yemini’s shenanigans have brought shame upon the local Jewish community. We and the overwhelming majority of Melbourne-based Jews say loudly: not in our name”. Did Kate Hoey do that research? Seemingly not.
Perhaps Ms Hoey would care to explain her latest endorsement to her local party. Perhaps she wouldn’t. That was a serious mistake she made. Not that she’ll be saying sorry.
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