The anti-Semitism claims that have plagued Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour: Scale of problem under Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure is fully exposed as figures show party has handled almost 700 cases of anti-Jewish hatred in the past three years
- Labour handled almost 700 anti-Semitism cases since Keir Starmer took charge
- Equality & Human Rights Commision end monitoring today after changes made
- Comes 2 years after watchdog found ‘significant failings’ in complaints process
Labour has dealt with almost 700 cases of anti-Semitism since Sir Keir Starmer took charge, as the party today is finally given the all-clear by the equalities watchdog.
The scale of the problem that developed under former leader Jeremy Corbyn can be exposed today in the latest figures. They show two-thirds of all complaints handled in the past three years have concerned anti-Jewish discrimination.
And some party members are still having to wait over a year for their cases to be heard, it is claimed, after its internal panels were overwhelmed by the number of reports.
Today the Equality and Human Rights Commission ends its monitoring of the party for breaching law and declares that Labour has made the required changes.
It was been more than two years since a damning investigation found ‘significant failings’ in how anti-Semitism complaints were handled and ‘specific examples of harassment, discrimination and political interference’.
Labour has dealt with almost 700 cases of anti-Semitism since Sir Keir Starmer (pictured with former leader Jeremy Corbyn, right) took charge, as the party today is finally given the all-clear by the equalities watchdog
Ann Black (pictured), of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee, wrote in a blog post: ‘A second obstacle to focusing on the general election is continuing delays in resolving complaints, with some members still waiting well over a year’
Marcial Boo, EHRC chief executive, said the changes will ‘help to protect current and future Labour Party members from discrimination and harassment’.
The move will today be hailed by Sir Keir as an important step in ending the scandal that developed under Mr Corbyn, who was suspended by the party for downplaying the report’s findings and still sits as an independent MP.
Sir Keir became Labour leader in April 2020 and pledged to stamp out anti-Semitism in the party.
He is expected to say: ‘Be in no doubt: the job of restoring Labour is not complete. I don’t see today’s announcement as the end of the road. I see it as a signpost that we are heading in the right direction.’
He will insist that the party has changed under his watch, having changed how complaints are dealt with, set up two independent boards, kicked hundreds of members out and dealt with a backlog of anti-Semitism complaints.
However, the party’s figures show that anti-Semitism still makes up the majority of complaints.
The latest disciplinary update, published in November, states: ‘Of the 1,068 cases determined by NEC Panels since 21 May 2020, 65.07 per cent have involved anti-Semitism.’
Of 42 cases dealt with over the summer, 45 per cent ‘involved allegations of anti-Semitism,’ with 7 per cent to do with bullying.
Ann Black, of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee, wrote in a blog post: ‘A second obstacle to focusing on the general election is continuing delays in resolving complaints, with some members still waiting well over a year.’
Her latest post said the party had been told that ‘the backlog of 10,000 unresolved disciplinary cases had been cleared and the new independent complaints procedures were up and running’.
Last month Labour MP Kim Johnson (picutred) described Israel’s government as ‘fascist’ and an ‘apartheid state’
In another sign of Sir Keir’s problems, last month one of his MPs described Israel’s government as ‘fascist’ and an ‘apartheid state’.
Kim Johnson was forced to apologise for the ‘insensitive’ outburst, which Sir Keir’s spokesman described as ‘unacceptable’.
And last night a Tory source told the Mail: ‘For five years and at two general elections Sir Keir Starmer actively campaigned to make Jeremy Corbyn prime minister.
‘His sole focus was overturning a democratic vote the Labour Party falsely told the public they would respect… Letting anti-Semitism run rife throughout the Labour party was a price he was perfectly willing to pay.’
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