Jo Bird

Jo Bird  (politician, dissident)
Jew process: Jo Bird's play on words
Nationality	British
Religion	Jewish
Interests	Jewish Voice for Labour
Party	Labour Co-op, Green Party
Liverpool councillor who was expelled from the Labour Party becomes Green Party candidate

Jo Bird is a British politician who has been the Labour and Co-operative councillor for Bromborough in the Wirral since August 2018.

On 19 November 2021, Jo Bird tweeted:

I'm delighted the Labour Party expelled me today.

I'm free from fear about speaking and meeting with other people.

I continue to work for people of Bromborough as your local Councillor. FOR THE MANY, not the few.

This racist Labour Party is dying as a vehicle for social justice.

On 2 September 2023, Skwawkbox announced that Jo Bird will stand for the Green Party at the Birkenhead parliamentary constituency in the UK/General election/2024.

Birkenhead turns Green

"On 4 July, elect Jo Bird as Birkenhead's MP"

On 4 June 2024, Jo Bird posted on X:

"Real hope and real change: Green Party launch Jo Bird for Birkenhead MP"

Wirral Green Party has announced Jo Bird as their candidate for the Birkenhead constituency at the coming General Election.

Greens are the clear challengers to Labour in Birkenhead. Last year in Council elections, more people voted Green than Labour. 38% voted Green and 36% voted Labour, across Birkenhead constituency including Bebington. Greens hold 10 out of 21 local councillor seats in Birkenhead.

Jo said, “At this election, Greens are offering a simple choice; real hope and real change with me or business as usual with Labour. People know that the Tories can’t win here. A Green MP would send a clear message to those who have taken your support for granted for decades, that Birkenhead deserves better.

"Because people in Birkenhead deserve an MP that works tirelessly to put Birkenhead first, to deliver for everyone in our community. An MP who will fight to rebuild our NHS, end the scandal of low pay and champion peace not war.

"All of this is possible, and voters in Birkenhead can make it happen. Make history on 4 July. Vote Jo Bird for Birkenhead MP.”

Jo Bird is currently co-leader of Wirral’s rapidly growing group of Green councillors. She reports more case work than almost any other councillor and last year, won re-election as a local councillor with 57% of votes. She is well respected for supporting NHS workers and Birkenhead market traders, securing some justice for victims of the New Ferry explosion and calling for ceasefire in Gaza.

Jo grew up in Birkenhead and went to Prenton Primary school. Previously, she helped people set up a range of co-operative businesses, from food to finance, across the North West and in Ireland.

Previously in Labour

Cllr Bird had hoped to succeed Louise Ellman as the MP for Liverpool Riverside and, in a video released in October 2019, said:

“I am one of many Jewish members of the Labour Party here in Liverpool City Region. We don’t recognise the description that Louise Ellman paints of the Labour Party being institutionally anti-semitic.

“My experience is a very welcoming Labour Party. For me as a Jewish person, as a socialist and as a human I’m proud to represent this community. Louise Ellman was elected on a Labour ticket, she should resign and call a by-election as she is no longer part of the Labour Party.”

In the event, Kim Johnson was selected for the Liverpool Riverside seat and she became the city's first black MP at the UK/2019 General Election.

NEC candidate

Jo Bird applied for the vacancy on Labour's National Executive Committee created by the election to Parliament of former NEC member Claudia Webbe but was narrowly beaten by right winger Johanna Baxter, after what was described as an attempt to rig the NEC election.

"Jew" process

On 4 March 2019, Jo Bird was suspended by the Labour Party pending investigation of allegedly antisemitic remarks she made in May 2018 at a meeting in support of political activist Marc Wadsworth, who was expelled for behaviour deemed "grossly detrimental" after a confrontation with Labour MP Ruth Smeeth in 2016.

Both a recording of a speech leaked to the Jewish Chronicle from the meeting and a blog written by Jo Bird for Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) struck a similar tone on the issue, mentioning Labour members such as Mr Wadsworth and former London Mayor Ken Livingstone:

"JVL is campaigning with others to overturn Marc Wadsworth’s unfair expulsion, clear his name and to defend Jackie Walker (who is black and Jewish) and others earmarked for the next phase in expulsions.

"JVL is calling for disciplinary hearings to be paused until a due process has been established based on principles of natural justice. What I call Jew process."

Tory councillors engage in antisemitism

Speaking at a meeting of Wirral Council on Monday 4 March 2019, Cllr Bird was video recorded (from 01:30:40 to 01:33:20) saying:

“I’m sorry that the Wirral Conservatives feel the need to leave the chamber at this point. You will not be able to hear the voice of Bromborough and New Ferry residents, nor my apology for my words being misunderstood…”

(see 01:31:00 interruption by Mayor Geoffrey Watt to facilitate the Tory / Independent walk-out)

“…thank you, it is unfortunate that the Conservative members have chosen to leave, thereby depriving their own residents of their voice in this chamber. And I’d like to address everybody, fellow councillors and residents of Wirral. I nip out during the Christian prayers here partly because I’m Jewish. My great-grandparents were refugees from ethnic cleansing and fascism in Europe. My grandfather never knew his cousins because they perished in the Holocaust. I know from lived experience…

(see 01:31:54 Independent Councillor Chris Meaden is seen walking out)

"…what racism against…

(see 01:31:56 Independent Councillor Moira McLaughlin is seen walking out)

"…Jewish people looks like, and it’s vile. Just today I received anti-Semitic hate emails. I was told that it is time for Jews to leave the UK, that I’m low-life, go and crawl back under your rock, and that I’m a Nazi. And actually what gives me nightmares these days are political moves to the right and the far right, for example, Conservative leaders like Theresa May, creating what she herself calls a hostile environment for migrants who enrich our country, such as the Windrush generation. And we’ve seen just right now the hostile environment created by Conservatives in the Wirral. It is Labour who have led every piece of anti-racist legislation in this country. As you know, at our last council meeting, this birdy has a self-deprecating sense of humour and I’m sorry if any offence has been caused by my plays on words. That was not my intention. As councillor for Bromborough / New Ferry, I welcome the proposed budget and the much-needed fund for New Ferry. The fund will help to rebuild lives and the livelihoods of people and traders devastated by the gas explosion almost two years ago. Thank you all for your support.”

Expelled

In November 2021, Jo Bird was expelled from the Labour Party.

 

Related Document

Title	Type	Publication date	Author(s)	Description
Document:We condemn the suspension of Jo Bird and the appointment of Lord Falconer	Article	4 March 2019	Admin	As Ken Loach said: “If it looks like a witch hunt and behaves like a witch hunt – it may well be just that. This is intolerable and must end now.”

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