Martin Abrams, an elected councillor in Streatham St Leonard’s ward in Steve Reed’s parliamentary constituency, has quit Labour, citing a culture of bullying and factionalism in the party.
Smeared: Martin Abrams has been frozen out of Lambeth Council by the Labour Party
Abrams is Jewish, and was suspended by the Lambeth Labour Party in early 2024 after he voted for a Town Hall motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
That vote was “a matter of conscience for me and I am proud I took this stance”.
More recently, Abrams was told he would not be allowed to seek selection as a Labour candidate for the 2026 local elections. In 2022, Abrams won a council seat back from the Greens in Streatham St Leonard’s.
But in a statement issued last night, he said he could no longer remain in a party that had “alienated hundreds of thousands of former Labour members and millions of voters”.
Abrams describes how he has been smeared by colleagues in Lambeth Labour as a “fake Jew”. He called that denial of his identity “one of the most disgusting things I have ever faced” in 15 years of party membership.
A leading figure in the Corbyn-supporting Momentum organisation, Abrams has pledged to continue to work for “the whole community” in Streatham as an independent councillor.
“My criticisms of the Labour Party under the ‘Starmerite’ project are manifold,” Abrams says in his statement, “… but even I am shocked at how bad things have become under his leadership and after one year in government.
“Labour is now pandering to the far right by scapegoating migrants and the most vulnerable in our society, deliberately stirring up racial tensions caused not by migrants but 45 years of failed neoliberalism.
“The government is complicit in the ongoing Gaza genocide, providing military intelligence and support to Israel while at the same time criminalising dissent and peaceful protest which has now led to the ridiculous and shameful spectacle of the mass arrests of pensioners under the Terrorism Act…
“… The primary reason for my resignation today isn’t just the failings of Keir Starmer, after almost 20 years of membership I am appalled that a toxic culture of bullying, racism, sexism, disablism and factionalism have been allowed and even encouraged to fester in the party under Starmer’s leadership…
Stubborn silence: Steve Reed’s Streatham and Croydon North constituency includes Abrams’ St Leonard’s ward
“I am now the target of abuse from a number of colleagues within Lambeth Labour Group. I have Patrilineal Jewish heritage (my dad is Jewish and my mum is not) and was brought up in a culturally and ethnically Jewish household in Greater Manchester.
“I spent much of my youth in the North Manchester Jewish community with my close and extended family, taking part in communal Jewish life and celebrating Jewish festivals.
“I was taught about the persecution of Jews throughout the ages and to be fiercely proud of my background, but I faced antisemitic bullying and abuse during primary and high school and at age 17 I was badly beaten up by a violent antisemite.
“I am shocked to have been informed that my Patrilineal Jewish background is now being used to smear me as a ‘fake Jew’ within Lambeth Labour group.
“To deny someone’s Jewishness and identity like this is anti-Semitism. I do not and will not ever need to prove my Jewishness to anyone and for it to be denied by some so-called colleagues in Lambeth Labour Group is one of the most disgusting things I have ever faced within my 15-year membership of the Labour Party.
“I feel it is necessary to call this out publicly as I have zero trust in the Labour Party complaints process following other complaints not even being acknowledged…
“… My appalling treatment by so-called colleagues in Lambeth Labour predates my suspension for voting for a ceasefire in Gaza, as there have been concerted attempts to silence and sideline me. After more than 1,200 days since being elected in 2022 incredibly I have still not been allowed to make my maiden speech in the council chamber or even ask a single question to the council cabinet despite repeated attempts to raise important local issues…
“… I refused to be bullied, I refuse to be silenced. I still have huge amounts of energy, passion and ambitions for Streatham and to be that voice in Lambeth Council that always stands up for the whole community, and I look forward to continuing this work.”
Read more: Labour deselects Jewish Streatham councillor for Gaza support
Read more: Labour polling shows MP Reed more unpopular than Starmer
Read more: Ribeiro-Addy is shunted aside for Reed’s political ambitions
Read more: #TheLabourFiles: MP Reed, Evans and the Croydon connection
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how have Labour become this?
The party formerly known as Labour is being destroyed by Starmer, McSweeney and the other control freaks, and their hangers on. It almost looks deliberate
Labour used fake accusations of anti-semitism to expel hundreds left-wing members of the party, when those members were in the main just criticising actions of the State of Israel. Now we can see from Martin’s testimony that some of the same people who were behind those expulsions are themselves anti-semitic in the way they’ve treated him.
Wow, very generous of Inside Croydon to give a platform to an extreme left dissident from “outside Croydon” with no attempt at balance. I wonder why?!
Bit like reading the Daily Torygraph!
Jim, you could have used the Response option to provide what you call “balance” instead of sticking a label on Martin Abrams and castigating Inside Croydon simply for reporting what he said
Since when does calling for the end of killings of innocent civilians and starving thousands of children make someone an “extreme left dissident”? What does that make you?
And Streatham and Croydon North (when Steve Reed can be bothered) is one of four Croydon Parliamentary constituencies that are covered by this website.