‘Proud widow of wrong sort of Jew’ tells Starmer: Mike faced antisemitism from you, not members
JVL Introduction
Mike Howard was one of the Labour Activists for Justice (LA4J) who tried unsuccessfully to hold the Labour Party to account in the courts after he was suspended by the Party for alleged antisemitism.
An active and committed member of his local party, he died with these false allegations hanging over him. The Party has never responded to an appeal letter submitted by solicitors Bindmans on this behalf.
His widow, Dee Howard, still justifiably outraged at his abject treatment by the Party, has written an open letter to Keir Starmer which Skwawkbox has just published.
It is reposted here.
This article was originally published by Skwawkbox on Sat 4 Mar 2023. Read the original here.
‘Proud widow of wrong sort of Jew’ tells Starmer: Mike faced antisemitism from you, not members
Dee Howard’s husband Mike died in 2021 while suspended by Labour for supporting Palestinian rights, without even receiving an acknowledgment of his appeal
In 2020, not long after Keir Starmer conned his way into the Labour leadership and began his purge of the left – and especially left-wing Jews who support Palestinian human rights – Jewish Voice for Labour member Mike Howard was suspended by Labour. He died in November 2021, still suspended and entirely ignored by Keir Starmer and the party machine. His proud but furious widow, Dee, has written to Keir Starmer and asked Skwawkbox to publish what she told him:
OPEN LETTER TO KEIR STARMER
FROM THE PROUD WIDOW OF THE WRONG SORT OF JEW – MIKE HOWARD
When my husband, Mike Howard, was suspended from your Labour Party in 2021 he was in shock. You accused him of anti-Semitism even though he was Jewish on both sides of his family. Both sets of his grandparents escaped the pogroms in Russia and Poland, making their way across Europe to seek the safety of Britain. Mike himself suffered from anti-Semitism at school in the predominately Jewish East End of London. He was ‘The fat little Jew boy’ to his bullies. His father, Gabriel, had changed the family name to Howard, from the Polish Kobelski, just before Mike was born, in the hope that his child wouldn’t suffer the anti-Semitism that he had had to put up with.
When Mike left school at the age of 15, because of the anti-Semitic bullying, he left with no GCEs to his name but strove to better himself, by studying at evening classes to gain the necessary GCEs and A levels to study for a Librarianship degree in Newcastle, which he obtained in 1976.
He never suffered anti-Semitism in any of the 6 CLPs he has lived in, although he has outside of the party, so to suffer it from the leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, was horrendous to him.
Mike has fought racism and discrimination of every kind for his whole life, since he joined the Labour Party Young Socialists in 1970, at the age of 19, and even recruited his parents and younger brother to the party that he believed in and fought so fiercely for. He took part in all the anti-racist campaigns that were organised, canvassed in every election for candidates who believed in equality, and ran a group, and volunteered, as a McKenzie Friend in court many times to oppose the hated Poll Tax.
We both left for a time during the Tony Blair years, as we were so against the Iraq war. However when we moved to Hastings in 2003, as the local party was known to be a good, active, left wing one, we both rejoined.
Mike took part in every election campaign, was always on the selection committees to select candidates, was a member of the GC the EC and the Campaign Committee, membership secretary for our branch, and worked his guts out for the party time after time.
In 2012 he was chosen to represent West St.Leonards ward in the local elections and won against the sitting Tory, Matthew Beaver. He worked very hard for his constituents and even had his name inscribed on a plaque unveiled at the playground he helped get through, as well as fundraising for it, with the local residents association.
He had to stand down in 2018 when I became seriously ill but, following my recovery, put himself forward to stand as the Labour candidate in our home ward, Maze Hill.
Mike, and the local party, were very happy he was selected and, with ward officers, began planning his election campaign. Imagine his shock when, six days later, he received an email from the national Labour Party secretary, David Evans, to say that he was suspended for so-called anti-Semitism, and therefore would not be allowed to represent the Labour Party in the local elections, or attend or take part in any Labour Party meetings. So much for democracy.
His crime? Mike supported the Palestinian struggle and made it known among members in person and online, and was supported by the majority. He could not understand how you, Keir Starmer, weren’t opposing the bombing raids from Israel, after all you purported to be a Socialist, so why weren’t you supporting the downtrodden Palestinians when the IDF came and demolished their homes and crops, to clear the land for the building of settler homes?
You were quoted as saying that you supported Israel unreservedly. We all know that your wife is Jewish and that you are bringing up your children as Jewish, even though you are not yourself, but why do you insist on all members of the Labour Party following your lead to support an apartheid state like Israel? Is there anything in the Labour Party rule book to say that all members must support the Israeli bullies and not the bullied Palestinians?
Mike’s Appeal letter was sent to the Labour Party by the solicitors firm, Bindmans, which Mike, or Bindmans, never even received an acknowledgement of, let alone a response.
Mike Howard died on 11th November 2021. He was still suspended till the day he died with the stain of anti-Semitism on his memory. He didn’t hate Jews as Jews, or hate himself, just the state of Israel, who tried to pretend that they represented ALL Jews. Well they didn’t represent Mike, as he was a caring Socialist as Keir Starmer SHOULD be as the leader of the so-called opposition party in Britain.
Yours disappointedly,
DEE HOWARD
(member you chucked out for being too left wing)To this day I have received no apology from Starmer, or his Labour Party, for Mike’s slur.
Would love to watch Hodge, Smeeth, Mann et al being forced to read this out aloud, its a very moving and sad account.
I know it’s meant ironically but is it the right time to stop using the phrase ‘wrong sort of jew’ I share many of the views but feel it boxes people into a small group in a corner that can be easily discounted, as indeed has happened. What is the ‘right sort of jew’?
Very well stated. He sounds like a wonderful man and a great socialist. You do too.
I’ve just suspended for offending Gillian Merron (Baronness!). I’ve sent a strong reply.
“ since he joined the Labour Party Young Socialists in 1070, at the age of 19,”??
corrected to 1970
Kier Starmer is part of a movement (with his Tory Friends) that has managed to ideologically Skew the political and societal view of the difference between Racism and Political Policies. Example: People are being led to believe that Israeli Policies (apartheid system in Israel/Palestine) are not Racist and that anyone that criticises Israeli Policies Are anti semitic / Racist. Almost all of the current shadowy cabinet are bought and paid for by “Friends of Israel” Kier Starmer peddled the same Narrative to get rid of Jeremy Corbyn and to apologise to and welcome back Luciana Berger to The Labour Party whilst breaking the rules. A dear friend of mine that spent 45 years campaigning for The Labour Party was also suspended for being the wrong type of Jew and supporting Palestine.
A wonderful, stinging letter, Dee.
The callousness Mike and yourself have faced is appalling. I’m so sorry.
Actual anti-Semites will use him as evidence for their conspiracy theories. In my limited experience, when confronted with anti-Semitic ideas I have found the best course of action is to mention the Jewish people in the ANC who were the first non ethnic Africans to fight apartheid. Starmer is the absolute antithesis of this .
Very powerful and moving open letter. What a brilliant man Mike was. How sad for him and for our party that sectarian Right wingers are controlling the Labour party.
I am so sorry about your husband. Your letter states his case so clearly, and the word for Starmer that my mind has produced is weasel. He is going to let the Tories back in because he is the wrong sort of man. The wall he and his fake labourites have put around themselves is closing them in and the party with them. I wish something could be done about it.
This makes me sad and furious in equal measure. Solidarity to you Dee. Mike sounds like a wonderful man and the Labour Party should be proud to have had him as a member.
The Labour Party is no longer Socialist. That should be obvious to all. I am a proud member of JVL, always with the oppressed and not with the oppressor. I, too, was expelled for supporting the Palestinians which I have done all of my life. I am far from being antisemitic with friends and heroes of the faith. Politicians should not let their personal allegiances affect their service to the people. We need another true socialist party.
We all know who the real anti-Semites are Dee and it’s certainly not you or Mike. As a woman of colour who has had to endure a fair amount of racist abuse and intolerance (for most of my life), I can certainly imagine what you’ve both had to endure. I still can’t get my head around the utter ridiculousness of someone, who is not Jewish, telling a Jewish person what is or isn’t anti-Semitic and having the utter gall to label a Jewish person as anti-Semitic or dismissing them as ‘the wrong kind of Jew’. What next? Will they start labelling people of colour ‘the wrong kind of black people’?
If Jeremy Corbyn had attempted to clear out the Zionists, who were determined to destroy him, from the Labout Party, as he should have done! imagine the uproar it would have created in the media. Yet Starmer has been given a free pass by the same media to get rid of Socialists, including Jews such as Mike Howard, and they haven’t even raised an eyebrow! The BBC is rotten, we need a truly independent BBC and it should start with a clearout of top management.
How can we, at this time especially, not condemn the undemocratic and racist actions of the current Israeli government? Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are taking to the streets to do so. Are they also anti-semites?
Starmer is certainly guilty of the “Big Lie”.
It is tragic that Mike and his family have been treated with such callousness.
Dee, your husband sounds like a wonderful man. Brave and true. As you are clearly also. When good people read your account, they recognise where the truth lies. For those of us suspended from the LP, listening to the lies of the leader and his rather pathetic supporters, we know that this is a sad time. But eventually, people will see what all of this was about…an attack on genuine socialists. I send my support and comfort to you. And well done for sending this letter.
This is yet another stain on the once good name of Labour. Rest in Power Mike. You will eventually be shown to have been on the right side of history.
Shame on David Evans, Keir Starma et al for this insult to a giant from midgets.
Solidarity and applause for you both, Dee.