Back on 2nd April 2025 something odd happened in the London borough of Barnet in the UK.
As Lee Harpin wrote at the time at ‘Jewish News’:
‘A Jewish Labour councillor in Whetstone has resigned from Barnet Council in mysterious circumstances and is also understood to no longer be a member of the party.
Liron Velleman triumphed in the north London seat during Labour’s dramatic 2022 local election victory in Barnet, and was an outspoken voice in the fight against antisemitism in the party under Jeremy Corbyn.
But in a shock development, Velleman is understood to have quit this week after it emerged he had been removed from the Barnet Labour Group.
A by-election in the Whetstone ward will now take place, but the date has yet to be confirmed.
Sources told Jewish News the surprise move was “not down to any political reasons”, but they remained tight-lipped about what had prompted the development.
Velleman has been an influential figure with the Jewish Labour Movement, and had been elected into the Whetstone seat alongside Ella Rose-Jacobs, in a clear sign of Labour’s renewed popularity with Jewish voters in north London under the leadership of Keir Starmer.
The local Barnet Post newspaper noted that until Tuesday, Velleman had been described on his profile on X (formerly Twitter) as head of politics at the Community trade union.
As of Wednesday, both this job role and his position as Whetstone councillor have been removed from the profile with just “Arsenal FC, Sussex CCC, tennis fan” remaining.’ (1)
Clearly something had happened and then when it was leaked two days later via ‘Skwawkbox’ that Woodcock-Velleman had been ‘forced to resign under a dark cloud’ then heads were on a swivel as the reason for such a radical step with that kind of a descriptive leak was never going to be good for jews, the Labour Party nor for Woodcock-Velleman’s close associates: ‘Hope not Hate’. (2)
Now on 2nd January 2026 we have a finally learned what the ‘dark cloud’ via Benedict Elliot’s article in ‘The Sun’:
‘A former Labour councillor has pleaded guilty to a string of sex offences against a 13-year-old girl.
Liron Woodcock-Velleman, 30, sent the victim naked pictures of himself and asked whether she was “at home alone”.
The ex-Labour councillor also demanded “show me your bra” and brazenly asked “whether she was a virgin.”
His offending only came to light when he was caught in a Met Police sting operation trying to communicate with the young girl.
Woodcock-Velleman appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court today where he admitted one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
The dad-of-one also admitted one count of being an offender 18 or over attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity.
Woodcock-Velleman, elected in 2022, carried out the offences from December 3 to December 10, 2024.
Ali Hussain, defending, said he has been diagnosed with depression and is on medication.
He added: “He is a person of good character. He is currently unemployed. He is a family man.
“There is a great deal about his background which will assist the court to see how exactly he came to find himself in this position.”
Woodcock-Velleman’s sentencing was adjourned to February 10 at the same court.
He was released on conditional bail not to be in the company of someone under the age of 18.’ (3)
So put another way Woodcock-Velleman – like his fellow senior jewish labour party member Ivor Caplin in 2024 – (4) was caught trying to have sex with a thirteen-year-old – presumably non-jewish – girl by the Metropolitan police in 2024 and then he is trying to defend himself by claiming in effect that he is the real victim here but because he was/is ‘depressed’.
Give me a break!
References
(1) https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/velleman-resigns-from-barnet-council-and-leaves-labour-group/
(2) https://skwawkbox.org/2025/04/04/jlm-pro-israel-organiser-velleman-forced-to-resign-as-councillor-under-cloud-of-darkness/
(3) https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/37791313/former-labour-councillor-charged-child-sex-offences/
(4) On Caplin’s crimes see my article: https://karlradl14.substack.com/p/ivor-caplin-jewish-child-molester
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