UK parliament strips ex-Labour MP of pass over link to Iran's Press TV

The British parliament has stripped former Labour MP Chris Williamson of his access pass after concerns were raised over his hosting of a show on Iranian state television.

Mr Williamson, 66, an ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, hosts a weekly programme on Press TV called Palestine Declassified.

The decision was made during a meeting of politicians, sources close to the Commons’ Administration Committee said. It means he will no longer be able to enter the Houses of Parliament as an official pass-holder until further notice.

Mr Williamson, who served as MP for Derby North from 2017 to 2019, had previously said his access to Westminster was under review because he had criticised the Tory government’s “support for Nato’s proxy war in Ukraine”.

He was one of more than 300 former MPs who hold passes giving them access to parliament.

The politician has in the past come under fire from Jewish groups for vilifying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, by calling him a “neo-Nazi-backed hypocrite”.

Before the committee met to discuss Mr Williamson’s pass, several MPs had raised concerns about him entering parliament while being employed by Press TV.

In 2012 the channel was banned from UK television screens. It accused Britain of censorship and claimed the royal family were involved in the decision.

MPs were in November urged to bolster the security of their mobile devices due to potential cyber attacks from Iran. The speakers of the House of Commons and the House of Lords wrote to politicians warning them to “stay vigilant” over potential attacks from Iranian operatives.

In light of the committee’s decision, Mr Williamson reportedly said he would ask MPs to rethink the move.

In a letter sent to Mr Williamson, Charles Walker, the committee chairman, said the decision was taken “to suspend your parliamentary pass until further notice”.

“The committee considered that your continued presence on Press TV, a broadcaster that has been banned in the UK and multiple other countries, is unacceptable and risks bringing parliament into disrepute,” Mr Walker said in the letter shared by MailOnline.

Dr Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, said the committee was “absolutely right” to strip Mr Williamson of Westminster access.

“Receiving money from a propaganda arm, such as Iranian state TV, goes against the values of parliament as an institution and risks discrediting ongoing diplomatic missions,” Mr Mendoza told The National.

“I am pleased the committee has taken the decision it has. Holding a parliamentary pass as a former member is extremely privileged and should be treated accordingly.”

Earlier, MPs had raised concerns about Mr Williamson's pass, prompting the former shadow minister to take to social media.

“Apparently a committee of MPs is meeting this week to decide whether to take my parliamentary pass away because I present a weekly programme on Press TV about Palestine, and because I've criticised the government's support for Nato's proxy war in Ukraine,” he tweeted.

Mr Williamson was suspended from the Labour Party in 2019 in a row over anti-Semitism. Footage showed him telling a meeting of Mr Corbyn's supporters that the party’s reaction to allegations of anti-Semitism had led to Labour being demonised.

He was allowed back into the party with a formal warning, prompting an outcry from politicians and Jewish groups.

Almost 70 Labour members wrote to the party to express their disapproval of the decision to readmit Mr Williamson. Within days he was suspended again.

He lost a High Court appeal to be reinstated and stood as an independent candidate in the 2019 general election, losing his seat to the Conservative candidate Amanda Solloway.

Mr Williamson is a harsh critic of Labour leader Keir Starmer, who succeeded Mr Corbyn in April 2020.

Since becoming leader of the opposition group, Mr Starmer has worked to restore the party's relationship with British Jewish communities. Mr Corbyn's tenure had been marred by accusations of anti-Semitism.

Jason Brodsky, policy director of the United Against Nuclear Iran advocacy group, said the revocation should have happened sooner.

“Williamson's pass should have been revoked a long time ago,” Mr Brodsky told The National. “The security risk is high [because] Press TV has links to Iranian intelligence.

“Let's not forget that one of its anchors, Marzieh Hashemi, helped recruit US citizen Monica Witt, a former Air Force counter-intelligence specialist, who later defected [to Iran]. So this move is long overdue.”

He suggested the timing was part of the UK’s permissive attitude to the threat posed by Iran.

“I think it reflects a broader problem in the UK ― the permissive environment that has been created for Iran's regime's influence operations,” Mr Brodsky said.

“This can be seen in its network of cultural centres ― most especially the Islamic Centre of England ― and in this latest news. It will require a concerted, whole-of-government effort to deny resources to Tehran to spread its propaganda.”

Labour MPs this week urged Rishi Sunak to launch an investigation into Iran-linked groups operating as charities and cultural organisations across the UK.

The Islamic Centre of England, in north London, has been subject to an inquiry by the charity watchdog since last year over potential links to the Iranian regime.