Labour reveals scale of anti-semitism crisis

LABOUR has received nearly 700 complaints of anti-semitism in the past nine months, but has expelled just 12 party activists.

Jennie Formby, the party’s general secretary, has bowed to the demands of MPS and published statistics that, for the first time, expose the extent of Labour’s anti-semitism crisis.

The disclosure has prompted a furious backlash among MPS, who last night accused Labour leaders of “shocking cowardice” after they failed to turn up to a meeting in Parliament to address MPS’ concerns. Others hit out at the “unacceptable” number of expulsions, with some Jewish MPS reading out examples of anti-semitic abuse they had received from members who had not been ousted.

The data show that, despite receiving 673 complaints between April and January, under 2 per cent of Labour members accused of anti-jewish hatred have been removed from the party to date. Fewer than one in six complaints processed by Labour resulted in a member being suspended, with the majority either receiving a reminder of party rules or their case dropped with no further action taken.

The figures suggest that the party has received about 15 complaints a week since April. Last March, hundreds of Jewish campaigners held a demonstration in Westminster in protest at Labour’s failure to drive out anti-semites.

However, 19 cases are still to be heard by Labour’s constitutional committee, which has the power to

expel or impose harsh sanctions on those found to have breached the party’s code of conduct, suggesting the number of expulsions could increase.

The most controversial case still to be heard involves Jackie Walker, a twice-suspended activist who has been condemned by Jewish leaders over her claims that Jews financed the global slave trade. Labour promised to deal with her case by July last year, but her hearing has been repeatedly pushed back. It will now be heard on March 26.

Last week, Ms Formby was widely condemned by MPS and Jewish campaigners, after she reportedly told the parliamentary Labour Party it was “impossible” to eradicate anti-semitism.

Speaking at a meeting in Parliament, she initially resisted their demands to publish data on the number of unresolved complaints of anti-semitism, suggesting that doing so would infringe on members’ privacy. But last night she yielded, and in an email circulated to MPS, claimed it was “clearly of the utmost importance that everyone feels welcome in our party”.

However, Labour MPS last night criticised her decision not to meet them after publishing the data, which they said revealed a worrying display of leniency in many cases.

Seven Labour MPS wrote to Jeremy Corbyn to claim that their request for full disclosure had not been complied with, adding that they were “extremely disappointed” that no one from the leadership was on hand to field their questions.

The letter, signed by prominent Jewish MPS Luciana Berger, Dame Margaret, and Dame Louise Ellman, states that Labour had failed to disclose who is conducting anti-semitism training or how many members and party officials had been offered it.

Last night, a party spokesman said: “One anti-semite in our party is one too many. We are committed to tackling anti-semitism and rooting it out.”