Corbyn ally departs from job as Labour’s director of governance and legal
Thomas Gardiner, who was appointed to his post two years ago by the former leader was replaced on Monday,
A controversial figure who led the unit deciding on antisemitism cases and other disciplinaries has quit.
Thomas Gardiner, who was appointed to his post two years ago by the former leader, was replaced on Monday. It is understood Alex Barros-Curtis will take over temporarily.
This comes amid claims of a ‘civil war’ within the party between Keir Starmer’s supporters, and those still loyal to Jeremy Corbyn’s views. One of his first moves upon becoming leader was to appoint David Evans as General Secretary of the party, to replace Jennie Formby.
Gardiner came in for criticism in 2019 after being involved in the process of not suspending an activist accused of antisemitism.
Kayla Bibby shared an image of a creature with a star of David covering the statue of liberty, but was not initially suspended.
In April 2019, leaked internal Labour documents revealed the party failed to take any disciplinary action against hundreds of members accused of antisemitism. The files revealed that Gardiner reportedly frustrated efforts by a member of his staff to fast-track the investigation of a member who condemned two Jewish MPs for being “shit-stirring c** buckets” in the pay of Israel”.
At the time, a Labour source defended Gardiner, claiming the emails showed him “arguing for an antisemitism complaint to be recorded as antisemitism” and that “he was outlining and supporting this process.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
