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McDonnell calls for Lord Sugar to delete Corbyn-Hitler tweet Lord Sugar deletes Corbyn-Hitler tweet after McDonnell appeal
(about 2 hours later)
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has called on businessman and Apprentice host Alan Sugar to “delete and disown” a tweet that depicts Jeremy Corbyn sitting next to Adolf Hitler. Lord Sugar, the businessman and Apprentice host, has deleted a tweet that depicted Jeremy Corbyn sitting next to Adolf Hitler after criticism from senior Labour figures.
Lord Sugar, who stars in the BBC’s The Apprentice, posted a tweet on Friday that shows the Labour leader’s face superimposed next to an image of the Nazi leader in a car during a Nuremberg rally. The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, had called on Sugar to “delete and disown” the tweet.
Alongside it, Sugar tweeted: “Many a true word spoken in jest Corbyn.” Sugar responded to McDonnell by arguing he had not created the mocked-up image and called on Corbyn to comment on addressing antisemitism within Labour.
He wrote on Twitter: “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.”
The peer, who stars in the BBC’s The Apprentice, had posted the tweet on Friday that showed the Labour leader’s face superimposed next to an image of the Nazi leader in a car during a Nuremberg rally.
Alongside it, Sugar wrote: “Many a true word spoken in jest Corbyn.”
Many a true word spoken in jest Corbyn pic.twitter.com/tzI3P6LyIxMany a true word spoken in jest Corbyn pic.twitter.com/tzI3P6LyIx
McDonnell appealed to Sugar to take the image down, saying that now is “the time to learn from each other and unite people”.McDonnell appealed to Sugar to take the image down, saying that now is “the time to learn from each other and unite people”.
He said on Twitter: “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.” He said on Twitter: “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.”
Labour MP John Mann, a critic of Corbyn’s, backed McDonnell, writing on Twitter: “The use of Hitler/ Nazi comparators is demeaning, unwarranted and dangerous. You damage the fight against antisemitism with this @Lord_Sugar. Withdraw this and apologise please.” The Labour MP John Mann, a critic of Corbyn’s, backed McDonnell, tweeting:
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. https://t.co/JsqnohTf63The 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. https://t.co/JsqnohTf63
Sugar later responded: “It’s a joke, but the angry brigade like to moan.”Sugar later responded: “It’s a joke, but the angry brigade like to moan.”
The controversial tweet comes after a tough week for Jeremy Corbyn, amid a row over antisemitism within the Labour party.The controversial tweet comes after a tough week for Jeremy Corbyn, amid a row over antisemitism within the Labour party.
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 peoplePeople 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
Corbyn issued a Passover message saying he is an “ally” in the fight against antisemitism.Corbyn issued a Passover message saying he is an “ally” in the fight against antisemitism.
Sugar resigned from the Labour party in May 2015 after an 18 year-long affiliation, attacking what he called “anti-enterprise concepts” and “a policy shift moving back towards what Old Labour stood for”. Sugar resigned from the Labour party in May 2015 after an 18-year affiliation, attacking what he called “anti-enterprise concepts” and “a policy shift moving back towards what old Labour stood for”.
LabourLabour
John McDonnellJohn McDonnell
Jeremy CorbynJeremy Corbyn
Alan SugarAlan Sugar
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