• IN your January 25 edition Conservative councillor Gio Spinella and his running mates each separately penned wholly untrue and offensive letters attacking myself and my co-candidates (Camden is at the forefront of the anti-Semitism battle).

While I welcome, and indeed encourage, debate in politics, the racial tone and implications of their letters are unacceptable and contribute nothing towards reasonable political discourse.

Using Jews as a political tool in order to get votes is offensive to many Jewish people and then to use Holocaust Memorial Day for party political ends is disgraceful.

Cllr Spinella in his letter proceeded to a direct attack on myself, a Jewish opponent. Accusing a Jew of anti-Semitism in time for Holocaust Memorial Day, whose family faced that discrimination, is very troubling.

I stand in complete solidarity with all those who have experienced racism and as a committed Labour Party activist, I will continue to fight hard to combat racial prejudices.

As I have said in a previous letter to the New Journal, I want to see greater female and ethnic minority representation in local and national politics, as these demographics are vastly under-represented in positions of public office.

Given this, I feel the all-male slate of candi­dates the Conservatives are running against us in Frognal & Fitzjohns ward does not appropriately represent the diverse and, indeed, female residents of Camden.

The response to me expressing that should not be slurs against my Jewishness.

REBECCA SHIRAZI
Labour candidate for Frognal & Fitzjohns ward