Lord Sugar Deletes Hitler Tweet After Huge Backlash

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Lord Alan Sugar has received criticism after tweeting a picture depicting Jeremy Corbyn travelling in a car alongside Adolf Hitler.

Lord Sugar posted the inflammatory image after Jewish Labour peer Lord Winston accused the Labour leader of having ‘encouraged and endorsed’ anti-Semites.

Many Labour MPs and peers are currently pushing for Corbyn to suspend senior Momentum figure, Christine Shawcroft, after anti-Semitism claims were made against her.

Shawcroft apparently pressed for the reinstatement of Alan Bull; a council candidate suspected of Holocaust denial.

Lord Sugar/Twitter

The caption on the photoshopped image shared by Lord Sugar read:

When you’re pictured at Nuremberg and claim you thought you were going to a car rally.

Tweeting to his followers, Lord Sugar said:

Many a true word spoken in jest Corbyn.

Lord Sugar has since deleted the tweet in question.

Learn more about anti-Semitism in the UK below:

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Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP responded to Lord Sugar’s tweet, pleading with the British business magnate to ‘delete and disown it’:

People have contacted me about Alan Sugar’s tweet. I just make this appeal to him. Please delete and disown it.

We all desperately need to bring people together now. We can hold strong views about each other’s politics but now is the time to learn from each other and unite people.

Lord Sugar then responded to McDonnell’s call for unity, requesting Corbyn give ‘a firm statement about antisemitism’:

Dear Mr McDonnell. I am sorry you are offended by my retweet on the picture. First let me say I am not the originator it has been doing the rounds.

You need to get Corbyn to make a firm statement about antisemitism. There is no smoke without fire in Labour.

McDonnell was not the only politician to take offence at Lord Sugar’s tweet.

John Mann MP, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism, also requested Lord Sugar withdraw the tweet:

The use of Hitler/ Nazi comparators is demeaning, unwarranted and dangerous. You damage the fight against anti Semitism with this @Lord_Sugar.

Withdraw this and apologise please.

Labour MP Chris Williamson described the tweet as being ‘irresponsible’, before apparently being blocked by the media personality:

You are a peer of the realm Lord Sugar and you have brought your position into disrepute with your offensive tweet.

It promotes hatred and that is irresponsible. I hope you will therefore swallow your pride, delete it and make a fulsome apology.

In a tweeted video message, Jeremy Corbyn addressed the Jewish community ahead of this year’s Passover celebrations:

It is easy to denounce antisemitism when you see it in other countries, in other political movements. It is sometimes harder to see it when it is closer to home.

We in the labour movement will never be complacent about antisemitism.

We all need to do better.

I am committed to ensuring the Labour Party is a welcoming and secure place
for Jewish people.

And I hope this Passover will mark a move to stronger and closer relations between us and everyone in the Jewish community.

In the fight against antisemitism, I am your ally and I always will be.

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Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.