She said a “cynically edited” video of her partner from 2016 is being used “as a means to attack [her]”
By Waltham Forest Echo

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy has made a public statement denying “categorically untrue” claims trying to “link” her partner to the far-right.

A short video circulating on social media shows her partner Dan Fox talking with a small group of people about freedom of speech in the context of criticising Islam.

After one person says they could not “stand up in Hyde Park and say ‘Islam is a vile religion'” without being arrested, Dan replies: “I would – probably not quite to the death – but I would certainly fight quite far for your right to stand up in Hyde Park and say that.”

Stella claims the video was “cynically edit[ed]… to try to mislead” viewers and taken at a meeting her partner attended “specifically to rebut those spreading Islamophobia within the Jewish community”.

On his own Twitter account, Dan Fox claims he was only at the meeting, which took place in 2016, after he was invited by an old acquaintance to explain his support for Sadiq Khan.

This story is published by Waltham Forest Echo, Waltham Forest's free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a not-for-profit publication, published by a small social enterprise. We have no rich backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.

Dan wrote: “We had been arguing on Facebook for some weeks over my support for Sadiq Khan in that year’s London Mayoral election and especially over what I considered to be Islamophobic criticism of him.

“I was challenged to express this support in person at a get-together at her house of an Israel advocacy group. I accepted the challenge.

“Other than the host I had not met anyone else there before. Including the host, I have not met anyone who was there since. I was only there – COULD only have been there – due to my being in opposition to all others present.

“This occurrence was simply part of my lifelong commitment to challenging intolerance, including in my own community.”

In her statement, Stella wrote that her partner has a “long history of anti-racist activism across all communities” and that she feels he was targeted “as a means to attack [her]”.

She added: “Sadly, this is not the first time… I thank all those who have reached out to express solidarity, condemn those knowingly circulating these smears and urge social media companies and regulators to act to ensure this kind of behaviour has no place in public life.”

No news is bad news 

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts. 

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less. 

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation. 

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit 

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month.  £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.

More information on supporting us monthly or annually 

More Information about donations