Harrogate MP Andrew Jones says Liberal Democrats ‘must have known’ about councillor’s antisemitic comments

In a strongly worded statement, Mr Jones said he was “shocked and appalled” by her remarks on social media platform X.

Yesterday (Monday) Councillor Marsh, who represents Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone in Harrogate, was suspended from sitting as a Liberal Democrat councillor, with the party condemning her “appalling antisemitic views”.

She has denied her comments were antisemitic and now sits as an independent councillor on North Yorkshire Council.

Mr Jones suggested she had been making antisemitic tweets for weeks before they came to light.

He said: “Councillor Marsh chose to express herself in clearly antisemitic terms.

"It is reasonable to assume that because of the repeated language she uses over a sustained period that these are her real views.

“I was shocked too that she has been doing this nearly a month and it seems no-one in the Liberal Democrats sought to stop her from doing so or questioned it.

“She was the most senior elected Liberal Democrat in Harrogate and Knaresborough, chairing the planning committee and the area committee.

"They must have known.”

A Liberal Democrats spokesperson said there was “literally no evidence” to back up Mr Jones’ “unsubstantiated” claims.

They added: “Ms Marsh was removed from her role in the party long before Andrew Jones made a comment.

"Andrew Jones had never raised these appalling remarks with the Liberal Democrats, until this afternoon in a press comment.

“These antisemitic views have no place in our party or our country.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism said the party had acted in a “swift and decisive” manner following the Tweets.

Responding to Councillor Marsh’s comments, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Tom Gordon, who will stand against Andrew Jones at the general election, said: “Antisemitism has no place in our country.

"These are dreadful comments and it’s right she was removed from her local role as well as suspended from the party.”

Councillor Marsh, who has been a councillor in Harrogate for more than 30 years, has received widespread criticism from across the political spectrum for her Tweets, with council leader Carl Les suggesting they may even be criminal.