Jewish Labour Movement receives campaigning award at conference

Thrilled members of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) have celebrated receiving the Labour Party’s Del Singh award, given for best practice to affiliated and member-led organisations. The award was presented by Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn MP.

The award, named for a prospective Labour MEP who was killed in Afghanistan in 2014, recognises effective campaigns. Previous winners have included LGBT Labour and the Labour Women’s Network. This year’s award specifies the work done by JLM “in engaging and mobilising the Jewish community in support of Labour campaigns”, and is, say the JLM leadership, “a testament to the hard work of our 2000+ members and activists across the country”.

JLM national chair, Jeremy Newmark, said: “In what has undoubtedly been another tough year for Jewish members of the Labour Party, it is reassuring that JLM is being recognised for its work fighting anti-Semitism, as well as our campaigns and activity supporting Labour candidates and Labour values across the country.

“As JLM looks towards our centenary of affiliation to the Labour Party, this award is also recognition of the work of my predecessors, including Louise Ellman MP, Lawrie Nerva and John Lebor”.

JLM Parliamentary chair Luciana Berger MP said: “In the past few years JLM has gone from strength to strength, ensuring that the Jewish community is not just welcome in the Labour Party, but celebrated for our contribution. I’m glad this has been recognised. In a week where Labour Party Conference will be debating the rule changes that have been tabled by JLM to stamp out any form of discrimination in the party, it is encouraging for our work to be recognised in this way”.

Ironically Del Singh, an aid worker who was murdered by the Taliban, had previously served on the board of Labour Friends of Palestine.