REDBRIDGE councillor Tanweer Khan has rejoined the Labour party after a month-long suspension over allegations he made antisemitic remarks.
Khan had sat as an independent councillor since March while an internal investigation was carried out by Redbridge Labour.
The allegations related to posts on the social media app Labayk, a now-defunct platform owned by Khan, that attacked other companies as “Jewish-owned”.
The Mayfield ward councillor previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he was “100 per cent confident of being cleared and exonerated of all these false charges against me”.
His return to Labour was announced by mayor Sheila Bain at the end of an annual meeting of Redbridge council on last Thursday (16).
Council leader Jas Athwal had confirmed his re-admittance in a letter to Adrian Loades, the interim chief executive, on 22 April.
In a previous statement to the LDRS, Khan emphatically denied being behind the remarks.
He said: “These allegations date back to 2021, with stuff posted online by someone pretending to be me.
“As soon as I found out about them in December 2021, I had the posts taken down and informed the Labour party immediately.”
One such comment, made in Khan’s name, said: “I don’t understand why people are asking others on this platform to join their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp groups etc. These are pretty much all Jewish-owned platforms.”
Formal complaints had been lodged with the party in March 2022 and in November last year.
Khan had suspected a “strong political motive” behind the timing, adding: “The timing of this complaint is very suspect, as it coincides with an upcoming general election and when I am actively looking for a parliamentary seat.”
In October 2023, the entrepreneur had unsuccessfully stood to be the Labour candidate for Pendle and Clitheroe, in east Lancashire. He lost out to Jonathan Hinder, a former police constable who grew up locally.
With Khan no longer sitting as an independent councillor, Redbridge council now comprises 56 Labour members, five Conservatives, and two independents.
Khan declined to comment on his return to the party.
(Local Democracy Reporting Service)
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