Antisemiitis Labour Party UK and EHRC

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Equalities watchdog’s damning verdict on Labour antisemitism: GUILTY AS CHARGED
Unrivaled coverage of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s damning verdict throughout the day on Jewish News’ live blog.
33min ago
Anti-racism group: Party must 'consider future' of those 'obstructing' EHRC
35min ago
Antisemitism campaigners: 'A matter of shame and regret for the Labour Party'
39min ago
Corbyn staff 'interfered in decision to investigate Ken Livingstone'
44min ago
Keir Starmer: EHRC report findings 'a day of shame for Labour'
By JEWISH NEWS REPORTER
October 29, 2020, 8:31 am  3
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Labour leader Keir Starmer has sought to move the party beyond the row over antisemitism that marred much of his predecessor's tenure.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has sought to move the party beyond the row over antisemitism that marred much of his predecessor's tenure.
33min ago
Anti-racism group: Party must ‘consider future’ of those ‘obstructing’ EHRC
Like Chinese water torture, the constant damning indictments just keep dripping in, and not just from the Jewish community.

Anti-racism organisation Hope Not Hate is now saying that the finding of unlawful political interference from Corbyn’s Office was “compounded with obstruction of the EHRC investigation,” adding: “This is a matter of the utmost concern and the party must now consider the future within the Labour movement for all involved at this level.”

Make your own minds up, but this feels like one of the UK’s most respected anti-racism organisations suggesting, in a less-than-subtle way, that Starmer should consider whether Corbyn & Co. should remain in the Labour Party.


Antisemitism campaigners: ‘A matter of shame and regret for the Labour Party’
Hope Not Hate, an advocacy group that campaigns against antisemitism, have issued the following statement:

“The findings of the EHRC investigation are both unequivocal and damning and vindicate the concerns of many in the Jewish community, both within the Labour Party and outside.

“Those who led, ran and administered the Labour Party over this period have serious questions to answer, and the entire party from members to MPs and Peers should reflect on this period and ask themselves how this was allowed to happen for so long.

“The report documents a catalogue of failings of the utmost seriousness – unlawful conduct, harassment, discrimination, political interference and a lack of leadership.

“It should be a matter of shame and regret to the Labour Party that it’s leadership at the time should have allowed this to occur in a supposedly universal political party in modern Britain.

“The one of the most serious accusations levelled at the leadership was found to be true – that of unlawful political interference from the Leader of the Opposition’s Office, compounded with obstruction of the EHRC investigation.

“This is a matter of the utmost concern and the party must now consider the future within the Labour movement for all involved at this level.

“We agree with the report findings that the problems within the Labour Party could have been tackled more effectively if the leadership had chosen to do so, and that a culture of toleration, verging on encouragement was at odds with a professed ‘zero tolerance’ of antisemitism.

“None of these findings are a surprise. Jewish Labour members were vocal about the discrimination and wrongdoing they were subjected to – but instead of being listened to they were ignored, smeared and abused.

“The pain and hurt they feel as a result of their treatment extends beyond Labour members through to the wider Jewish community across the country.

“We have no doubt that there will be many expressions of solidarity and regret in the days to come, but to truly put this behind them and find a way forward the Labour Party needs to act.

“That action must include every single recommendation in the EHRC’s report – but these recommendations are just the start of the journey to making the party a welcoming and inclusive party for everyone.”

39min ago
Corbyn staff ‘interfered in decision to investigate Ken Livingstone’
GLU staff have the power to decide whether or not to investigate a compalint and Leader of the Opposition staff “should not have any role in these decisions.”

But on page 44 of the report, “interference in decisions on whether to investigate”, there are examples where “LOTO staff made or influenced this decision,” including a second complaint of antisemitism made against Ken Livingstone.

The report states: “The Labour Party confirmed to us that a decision to ‘go to Disputes’, that is, to the NEC Disputes Panel, which was described as having been made ‘higher up’, was likely to refer to the decision having been made by LOTO and the General Secretary’s Office (GSO).

“It therefore appears that LOTO staff, and potentially GSO staff, interfered in the decision to investigate the conduct of Ken Livingstone.”

44min ago
Keir Starmer: EHRC report findings ‘a day of shame for Labour’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, speaking in a news conference currently underway, has said it is “a day a shame for the Labour Party” which now “needs a culture change”

He said: “We have failed Jewish people… Jewish members driven out of parliament, including Louise Ellman and Luciana Berger. I hear you. I will act. Never again will we fail to tackle antisemitism. The Labour Party I lead accepts this report in full. Under my leadership, zero tolerance will mean exactly that.”

Wow.

If anyone wants to know how to draw a line, check this out. His reaction to this report was always going to be more important than the reaction of the man he replaced, the man whose conduct and record in office Starmer has just thrown – like a frisbee – out of Labour Party HQ.

Read more: Sir Keir Starmer: We have failed Jewish people 

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer delivers his keynote speech during the party’s online conference from the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum in Doncaster.
45min ago
23 instances of inappropriate interference by Corbyn’s team
The EHRC, which had the statutory power to demand copies of internal Labour documents and communications, found 23 instances of inappropriate interference by Corbyn’s team and others in the 70 files it examined.

This appears to back up claims made by former staffers turned whistleblowers who told BBC’s Panorama programme that there had been political interference in what should have been independent antisemitism investigations.


Sir Keir Starmer (left) alongside then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (centre), and Rebecca Long-Bailey
55min ago
Holocaust education chief: ‘Take responsibility, begin journey back to morality’
Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust has reacted to the EHRC report, saying: “After five years of rampant antisemitism in a mainstream political party, this damning report confirms all that has been said about the depth of the endemic anti-Jewish racism in Labour. The hurt and pain that has been caused is unquantifiable and the impact is still felt.”

Holocaust denial, conspiracy theories and Jew hate are unacceptable in all walks of life, and certainly nobody expected it to fester in a political party founded on anti-racism, but it did. Today is not the end of this dark chapter, but an opportunity for the Labour Party to consign this shameful period to history, take responsibility and begin the journey back to any sort of morality.


Karen Pollock
We have seen good people speak out and call out this abhorrent racism over the past few years and we thank them. It is a lesson to us all in not standing by when hatred and prejudice rears its head”

 

1hr ago
Jeremy Corbyn responds to EHRC report: ‘One antisemite is one too many’
Wait – is this something approaching an apology from Corbyn? Writing on Facebook, he says: “Jewish members of our party and the wider community were right to expect us to deal with it, and I regret that it took longer to deliver that change that it should.”

In a subtle dig at Lord McNicol, Jennie Formby’s predecessor in the role of Labour Party general secretary, he adds that “my team acted to speed up, not hinder, the process”. So – an apology, alongside an “it wasn’t me, guv”. Not that it matters now.

Read his statement in full: https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/jeremy-corbyn-responds-to-ehrc-report/

“Antisemitism is absolutely abhorrent, wrong and responsible for some of humanity’s greatest crimes. As Leader of the Labour Party I was always determined to eliminate all forms of racism and root out the cancer of antisemitism. I have campaigned in support of Jewish people and communities my entire life and I will continue to do so.

“The EHRC’s report shows that when I became Labour leader in 2015, the Party’s processes for handling complaints were not fit for purpose. Reform was then stalled by an obstructive party bureaucracy. But from 2018, Jennie Formby and a new NEC that supported my leadership made substantial improvements, making it much easier and swifter to remove antisemites. My team acted to speed up, not hinder the process.

“Anyone claiming there is no antisemitism in the Labour Party is wrong. Of course there is, as there is throughout society, and sometimes it is voiced by people who think of themselves as on the left.

“Jewish members of our party and the wider community were right to expect us to deal with it, and I regret that it took longer to deliver that change than it should.

“One antisemite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media. That combination hurt Jewish people and must never be repeated.

“My sincere hope is that relations with Jewish communities can be rebuilt and those fears overcome. While I do not accept all of its findings, I trust its recommendations will be swiftly implemented to help move on from this period.”


Jeremy Corbyn. (Photo credit: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire via Jewish News)
1hr ago
Jewish leaders: EHRC report ‘proves why we were so distressed’
Jewish communal reaction is already flooding in. In a joint statement between the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust, leaders take aim at the Islington MP directly, calling Corbyn “a figurehead for old and new anti-Jewish attitudes”.

Meanwhile the Campaign Against Antisemitism, whose complaint together with the Jewish Labour Movement prompted the EHRC investigation, declared: “The debate is over. Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, the Labour Party became institutionally antisemitic.” This kind of language should be expected today, after five years of pent up frustration.


Around 1,500 were estimated to have turned up to say no to anti-Semitism in Westminster
Marie van der Zyl, President of the Board, Jonathan Goldstein, Chair, of the JLC, and Mark Gardner, CEO of the CST – joint statement in full: 

“This report is a damning verdict on what Labour did to Jews under Jeremy Corbyn and his allies. It proves why British Jews were so distressed and it disgraces those who attacked us for speaking out against anti-Jewish racism.

“Our Jewish community never wanted this fight, but we had to defend ourselves and are proud to have done so. We thank all those who stood with us, despite the abuse they received as a result.

“Jeremy Corbyn will rightly be blamed for what he has done to Jews and Labour, but the truth is more disturbing, as he was little more than a figurehead for old and new anti-Jewish attitudes. All of this was enabled by those who deliberately turned a blind eye.

“Now, the task of cleaning out the problem lies with the current leadership. We welcome the start that Keir Starmer has made, but the scale of the challenge that lies ahead should not be underestimated.

“We will continue to give our support to all who work to drive racism out of our politics and out of our society.”

 

1hr ago
‘Lack of willingness to tackle antisemitism rather than an inability to do so’
EHRC interim chair Caroline Waters has pulled no punches in this report, describing it as “inexcusable” how the Labour leadership under Jeremy Corbyn failed to tackle antisemitism in the party in “multiple areas”.

She said this “appeared to be the result of a lack of willingness… rather than an inability to do so”.

Ouch.


2hr ago
EHRC: Labour faces deadline to prepare action plan
The Labour Party is required to prepare an action plan for the purpose of avoiding repetition or continuation of the Unlawful Acts.

The EHRC makes recommendations for that purpose which are set out in the executive summary of the Report under the section titled ‘Our recommendations for change’.

The first draft of the action plan must be given to the EHRC by 5pm on Thursday 10 December 2020. 

 

2hr ago
EHRC REPORT: Evidence of ‘unlawful acts, harassment and discrimination’
A long-awaited report into antisemitism in the Labour Party by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has found evidence of “unlawful acts harassment and discrimination” as well as “political interference” in cases.

The statutory body had been asked whether the party under former leader Jeremy Corbyn had broken equalities law in failing to deal with the raft of cases in a timely and effective manner, and whether this had led to “institutional antisemitism”.

The report, published on Thursday morning, said there had been “a culture within the party which, at best, did not do enough to prevent antisemitism and, at worst, could be seen to accept it”, in comments that will confirm the Jewish leaders’ suspicions.

In its view, the EHRC said Labour had “failed to implement the recommendations” in three reports into antisemitism in the party, produced by Baroness Chakrabarti, Baroness Royall and the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Read more: EHRC: Evidence of ‘unlawful acts harassment, and discrimination’ in Labour  
 

2hr ago
EHRC verdict on Labour antisemitism: GUILTY!
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE EHRC REPORT:

The Labour Party must make positive change in its policies, processes and culture, to benefit all of its members, and to rebuild trust among the Jewish community and the wider public 
The EHRC report has revealed serious failings in leadership and an inadequate process for handling antisemitism complaints across the Labour Party and multiple failures in the systems it uses to resolve them.
There were unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination for which the Labour Party is responsible
A culture within the Party which, at best, did not do enough to prevent antisemitism and, at worst, could be seen to accept it
A culture at odds with the Labour Party’s commitment to zero tolerance of antisemitism
It is hard not to conclude that antisemitism within the Labour Party could have been tackled more effectively if the leadership had chosen to do so
Evidence of unlawful political interference in the handling of antisemitism complaints
Staff from the Leader of the Opposition’s Office (LOTO) were able to influence decisions on complaints, especially decisions on whether to suspend someone.


3hr ago
‘No one has a clear picture’ of true figure for antisemitism cases
In November 2019, the Jewish Labour Movement warned the party that 130 cases of antisemitism remained outstanding against its members.

This morning a JLM source told Jewish News the true figure is now “unknown”, adding: “No one has a clear picture” since Corbyn stepped down.


Jeremy Corbyn speaking at the Jewish Labour Movement’s Chanukah Party in 2017
3hr ago
Man facing jail over online harassment of Dame Margaret Hodge
Jewish Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge was left feeling “disturbed” after she was branded a “racist Zionist” in a harassment campaign, a court has heard.

Nicholas Nelson, 31, is facing a possible jail sentence after pleading guilty at Bristol Magistrates’ Court last month to three counts of sending communications of an offensive nature in 2018.

Prosecutor Simon Maughan said the offence against Dame Margaret, MP for Barking, east London, has been flagged as a “hate crime”.

The other charges relate to the abuse of Dame Louise Ellman and Lord (John) Mann, who were also both Labour MPs at the time, leading to Nelson’s sentencing hearing being moved to London.