Linda Riley was awarded the post of Labour Party LGBTQ Lead Advisor. Riley was listed as one of the directors of Jack the Ripper Museum in Whitechapel, and, according to Whois, was the owner of the museum’s website domain.

Apart for her involvement in the Ripper Museum, Linda Riley has rather impressive CV: she is a creator of many diversity initiatives, a former Stonewall Award winner, and one of the directors of LGBT campaign group GLAAD. She is also a patron of the Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity which helps homeless LGBT youth in the UK, Action Breaks Silence, which empowers women in the developing world to protect themselves against physical and sexual assault and Diversity Role Models a LGBT anti-bullying charity. She claims she has dedicated herself both professionally and personally to promoting the values of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Over last few years, Jack the Ripper Museum sparked numerous controversies. The planning application to Tower Hamlets Council gave no indication of its use, instead claiming it will be a women’s history museum. It stated that “The museum will recognise and celebrate the women of the East End who have shaped history, telling the story of how they have been instrumental in changing society. It will analyse the social, political and domestic experience from the Victorian period to the present day.” Linda Riley was listed as a client on Museum’s planning application.

The museum is widely accused of monetizing the murder of working class women. Its opening was followed by several days of protests by both capaigners and local community members. The protests, organised by Class War, occur to this day. The recent post awarded to Riley seems to be yet another failure of the Labour Party.

ZB

Peter Marshall’s photos are available for commercial use via Alamy.