The tweet that got Becky Massey expelled — and the ones that didn’t

Greg Hadfield
2 min readNov 26, 2020

There are countless individual examples of how the level of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party has been dramatically overstated because of false allegations — erroneous, imagined, or fabricated — made for for political reasons by opponents inside and outside the party.

Becky Massey’s experience — as recently-released emails reveal — is far from unique.

Becky Massey was expelled on June 2 2020— without a hearing — for a single tweet posted, nearly seven months earlier, on November 8 2019:

The single tweet that resulted in Ms Massey’s expulsion

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Becky Massey faced no sanction beyond a letter on February 8 2017 from Sam Matthews, head of disputes, after the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism (CAA) accused her because of these two tweets posted — 17 months earlier — on September 12 2015 and — eight months earlier — on June 14 2016 respectively:

The two tweets that led to a libellous accusation by the CAA

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Becky Massey faced no sanction beyond a “Reminder of Conduct” (ROC) letter on September 4 2018 from Sophie Goodyear, head of complaints, because of three tweets, two of which had been complained of previously (see above); a third tweet (a retweet of a news article) was posted — 28 months earlier — on April 29 2016:

The three tweets — including a retweet of a news article — that led to another warning letter

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Becky Massey faced no disciplinary action for “anti-Semitism” after a confidential briefing by the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BoD) referred to three tweets, two of which had twice been complained of previously:

Becky Massey did not face disciplinary action for “anti-Semitism” for three tweets referred by the BoD

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To repeat: Becky Massey was expelled on June 2 2020 — without a hearing — for a single tweet posted, nearly seven months earlier, on November 8 2019:

The single tweet that resulted in Ms Massey’s expulsion

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Greg Hadfield

Husband, father, grandfather. Writer, classicist. Originally Barnsley, usually Brighton, often Greece. Marathon runner.