EHRC report was first step to a culture change

The fight against Labour antisemitism cost friends and careers but there was never a choice

IREMEMBER WELL the meeting of the Jewish Labour Movement when we decided to make a referral to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). It was July 2018, shortly after Labour adopted guidelines on tackling antisemitism that ignored what Jewish members were telling them — and which the party leadership implied we supported. It was also within a day or two of Margaret Hodge reportedly calling Jeremy Corbyn a “f*cking antisemite and a racist”. (Margaret later clarified that she didn’t swear.)

We knew that we had reached the end of working with Corbyn’s team on antisemitism. We also knew we had a responsibility. First, to Jewish Labour members who were victims of antisemitism, the people we directly represented and were accountable to. Secondly, we never lost sight of the wider Jewish community watching in shock at what was happening. This was raw, as I had just lost my seat of West Hendon (which has a large number of Jewish residents) on Barnet Council. If Labour under Corbyn could so easily ignore and gaslight victims of antisemitism within the party, then imagine what it could be like with him as prime minister.

We had asked Clive Sheldon QC to explain our options. He said we had a few costly options, but our best shot would be to explain our case and make a referral to the EHRC outlining the widespread and increasing discrimination faced by our members. Clive connected us with James Libson from Mishcon de Reya. Then, with the help of this newspaper and others, we compiled testimony from more than 800 Labour members. We’d also convinced more than 70 current and former Labour staff to become whistleblowers and give sworn testimony that confirmed our worst expectations. We spent hours debriefing each one. Some faced cross examination from the EHRC. Some were ideological Corbynites who felt bound to explain the wrongdoing, others were longstanding Corbyn-sceptics. This unique testimony from victims and whistleblowers is what made the difference in shaping the EHRC’s findings.

We received generous support throughout from CST, the Jewish Leadership Council and Board of Deputies, who understood that JLM was best placed to take this on as a representative voice of Jewish Labour members.

We were vindicated a year ago today by the EHRC finding that the Labour Party had committed unlawful acts against its Jewish members. The wider community also felt this vindication.

This was an unprecedented finding from the country’s equalities regulator. It was significant and shameful, not least because one of Labour ‘s achievements in government was the Equality Act.

When the report was released, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Under my leadership, zero-tolerance of antisemitism will mean precisely that” and “If you’re antisemitic, you should be nowhere near this party”. He urged patience and said openly this would take time to repair.

So what’s happened since? Corbyn is now an obscure figure, suspended from the PLP, and his most devout followers who engaged in antisemitism have either resigned or subject to expulsion proceedings. Labour is spending £2million a year in legal fees to throw them out — more than it spends on campaigning. Sure, they remain noisy, but they are firmly on the fringes now, outside mainstream politics and a potential party of government. Many are exploring starting new political parties. We should all wish them well on this journey.

We’ve seen a lot of churn in the Labour’s membership. For almost every member gone, the party has gained members who want to see a different Labour. This is being seen in large numbers of local parties that are now run by those who want to tackle the toxic culture and make it welcoming for all — especially Jewish members who have started to re-join, such as Dame Louise Ellman or myself.

The EHRC-mandated rule changes at this year’s Labour conference will insert a degree of independence to disciplinary processes. But more important is a cultural change. Labour has embraced JLM’s offer to assist with antisemitism awareness education and has engaged honestly and in good faith with the primary organisations that represent the community — the Board, JLC and CST.

I know from talking to activists around the country that lots of Jewish voters recognise this. No longer are Labour activists facing justified fury from Jewish voters. Many of those lifelong Labour voters who voted Conservative in 2017 or 2019 are now saying they are open to Labour again, especially in light of the current government’s failings. I’m under no illusion that this is all over. It’s not. But I think it is the beginning of the end.

What happened shook us all. Many of us lost friends and those politicians that resigned lost successful careers for doing the right thing. By judging him and the party on its actions so far, Sir Keir’s Labour has earned the right to be given a chance.