The Labour party in Oxford has been told it "has some questions to answer" after keeping its lips sealed as one of its councillors is accused of "racism".

This comes following circulation of a video online of Oxford city council housing chief and Blackbird Leys councillor Linda Smith being filmed telling people their politics "belong in Iran".

Ms Smith was out campaigning in the North Durham constituency for her husband and Labour MP candidate Luke Akehurst, a self-described Zionist, when this clip was filmed.

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She allegedly made the controversial remark "yours belong in Iran but we're not shouting about that" after someone said Ms Smith's politics "belong in the BNP (British Nationalist Party)".

Linda Smith during the confrontation.Linda Smith during the confrontation. (Image: Newham Independents.)

A protester responded asking whether the housing chief was "looking at the brown people when you say that?".

Ms Smith has said the video, shared by the Newham Independents on X (formerly known as Twitter) is taken out of context and has been "wilfully misinterpreted" by many of those reposting on social media.

The Labour party and Anneliese Dodds, candidate for the Oxford East ward in the general election, have remained silent on the issue.

This has prompted criticism from other politicians in Oxfordshire. 

Oxford Community Independents councillor Dr Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini, of the Northfield Brook ward, said: "The Labour Party has some questions to answer as to why a sitting councillor has received no public reprimand from the party for making a racist comment on the campaign trail of her husband.

Dr Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini.Dr Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini. (Image: Oxford City Council.)

"There seems to have been no instruction from the party for her to even apologise.

"Instead, when given the opportunity to apologise for her comment in the Oxford Mail as a public representative, she doubled down on it and resorted to blaming protestors exercising their democratic rights.

"Just as her husband was undemocratically parachuted in as Labour candidate in a safe seat in an area he has zero links to, Cllr Smith was last year undemocratically imposed upon a safe Labour council ward against the wishes of the members living in Blackbird Leys.

"It is disturbing but not surprising to see the Labour Party speak of equality and anti-racism but yet behave in this hypocritical way.

Susan Brown.Susan Brown. (Image: Oxford City Council.)

"Oxford Labour, as well as national Labour, should be acting to reassure the public that racism has no place in this election campaign. Cllr Smith and the Labour Party should make a full public apology."

We also approached the party for comment in light of Dr Djafari Marbini's remarks but did not receive a response.

A total of 10 councillors resigned from Labour in Oxford last year after criticising the party's approach to conflict in Gaza.

This relates to an ongoing bombardment of Palestinians which has killed more than 35,000 people, following Hamas attacks on Israel that killed approximately 1,139 people, in the context of the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.