End of an error: Labour lifted out of special measures over antisemitism, EHRC confirm
In a boost for Labour leader Keir Starmer, the Equality and Human Rights Commission confirms 'we were satisfied the party had implemented the necessary actions to improve'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
The Labour Party has been lifted out of special measures in relation to antisemitism, the UK’s equalities watchdog has confirmed.
In a major boost for leader Keir Starmer, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said on Wednesday they had concluded their monitoring of Labour “as we were satisfied that the Party had implemented the necessary actions to improve its complaints, recruitment, training and other procedures to the legal standards required.”
At a press conference taking place later on Wednesday morning, Starmer is expected to describe the EHRC’s announcement as an “important moment in Labour history”.
But critically, he will also caution against celebration of the news.
The Labour leader is expected to warn his party:”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.”
In an op-ed for The Times on Wednesday, Starmer wrote:”Antisemitism is an evil.
“It is a very specific type of racism, one that festers and spreads like an infection. Its conspiratorial nature attracts those who would have no truck with any other form of prejudice. Indeed, it can be those who call themselves ‘anti-racist’ who are most blind to it.”
Writing exclusively for Jewish News, https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/opinion-keir-and-i-do-not-see-ehrc-decision-as-a-moment-to-celebrate-but-a-time-to-apologise-once-again/ Labour general secretary David Evans – who has been at the very centre of Labour’s response to the EHRC report – said: “Of course this is not the end.
“I see today’s announcement as another important step out of the morass we had got ourselves stuck in.
“Ultimately our success will be judged not by me, or Keir, or even by the EHRC, but by whether those who were so badly let down feel ready to call Labour their party again.”
In October 2020 Labour had been ordered to implement an emergency action plan on driving out anti-Jewish racism or face legal action after the EHRC uncovered “serious failings” under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
In a damning indictment of the party’s failure on antisemitism, Labour became only the second political party ever, after the far-right British National Party, to be investigated by the UK’s human rights watchdog.
The EHRC had accused it of three breaches of the Equality Act 2010, relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints, a failure to provide adequate training to those handling complaints on anti-Jewish racism, and harassment.
But confirming Labour is no longer under special measures, Marcial Boo, chief executive of the EHRC said in a statement: “In October 2020, following a thorough investigation of the UK Labour Party that found unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination, we made detailed recommendations to ensure that the Party adheres to equality law.
“We have reviewed progress with the agreed action plan since then. On 31 January 2023, we concluded our monitoring as we were satisfied that the Party had implemented the necessary actions to improve its complaints, recruitment, training and other procedures to the legal standards required.
“This will help to protect current and future Labour Party members from discrimination and harassment.
“No organisation is above the law. Every employer and every public body must take active steps to address racism and all other forms of illegal discrimination.”
Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl immediately welcomed the EHRC’s decision, adding it was “an important moment in Labour’s fight against antisemitism, recognising the party’s strong move in the correct direction.”
Van der Zyl continued:” “Since taking office, Keir Starmer and his leadership team have made it clear that removing antisemitism from the party is a top priority.
“Labour has worked closely with key Jewish communal organisations, including the Board of Deputies, to ensure that those who engage in antisemitic behaviour or defend it are unwelcome within the Party.
“This process is not over. But through significant effort, Labour is painstakingly rebuilding relationships which were wilfully shattered during the Corbyn years.
“We will continue to work with the Party to ensure that antisemitism can never again open up such a beachhead into the heart of our political system.”
The Jewish Labour Movement’s national secretary Adam Langleben also described the watchdog’s announcement as ” a hugely significant moment for the Labour Party and for British politics.”
He added:”We welcome the EHRC giving Labour a clean bill of health.
“When JLM, as the primary complainant, submitted testimony from hundreds of Jewish members and more than 70 whistleblowers to the EHRC in 2019, Labour was in moral turpitude and political denial.
“Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, it had become an unsafe space for Jews.
“For the first time, a party of Government was found by the EHRC to have broken equalities law in the treatment of its Jewish members.
“This confirmed the experiences of thousands of Jewish Labour members and was a dark day for a Party many of us joined because it fought racism.
“This unprecedented finding was met with unprecedented action.
“Under Keir Starmer, Labour has moved at a pace and with a rigour few expected, expelling antisemites and introducing a new independent disciplinary system to address all equality discrimination grievances. It has been transparent with all members on the challenges through the publication of quarterly complaints figures.”
Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, is expected to now write to the Labour leader to demand an explanation as to how Starmer will continue to “root out” antisemitism post EHRC report.
Jewish Leadership Council chair Keith Black and Community Security Trust chief executive Mark Gardner issued a more cautious statement suggesting:”We always maintained that we would judge the Labour leadership on its actions rather than its words.
“The Labour Party under Sir Keir Starmer has gone a significant way towards making the Labour Party an unwelcome home for anti-Jewish racists.
“We believe that the Labour Party and Sir Keir have engaged us honestly and transparently about the scale of the challenge throughout the EHRC monitoring period and we have welcomed this radically different approach.
“There is still much work to do. Cultural change is always slow and whilst there are visible green shoots, there remains a clear issue, as demonstrated so clearly by the quarterly complaints’ figures released by the party.”
Starmer is also expected to use Wednesday’s media conference to repeat the apology he made to the community on behalf of the Labour Party that he had done when receiving the EHRC’s original report.
After first receiving the damning EHRC report he has said :”We failed the Jewish community, our members, our supporters and the country. That is why we must act to drive antisemitism out of our Party and change the processes, structures and the culture of the party to ensure Jewish people feel safe to return to their political home.”
He is expected to say again: “Today, on behalf of the entire Labour Party, I say sorry. What you have been through can never be undone. Apologies alone cannot make it right”.
The EHRC also confirmed they had carried out three inspections and regularly monitored the Starmer party over its Action Plan to Drive out Antisemitism – the party’s response to the devastating 2020 report.
This included a “zero tolerance” approach to antisemitism, an independent complaints process, the implementation of antisemitism training led by JLM, and strengthening of checks on candidates and their social media.
Labour have also held regular meetings with an antisemitism advisory board, which includes representatives from the Board, the JLC and the CST.
The EHRC confirmed over a period of two years that it had inspected Labour’s progress in April and July 2021 and during a final monitoring date in December 2022.
The watchdog also said it received regular reports on progress and frequently met with the Labour Party to discuss issues.
Labour stressed how the party has cleared the backlog of antisemitism complaints and its complaints handling processes have been transformed, including training for all staff and NEC members on decision-making panels.
Since two independent complaints boards were made fully operational in April 2022, they have scrutinised more than 120 cases.
The party also noted how hundreds of individual memberships have been terminated and groups proscribed that expressed a desire to “campaign against the recommendations of the EHRC report”.
Responding to the EHRC’s announcement Karen Pollock CBE, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, added:” The trauma of the anti-Jewish racism that permeated through the Labour Party over a period of five years is still felt by Jewish people within the Labour movement and the wider Jewish community.
“Today’s news is another step in the right direction to consign this shameful period to history and for the Labour Party to take responsibility once again for what happened. We must never and can never forget the rampant antisemitism allowed to fester within a mainstream political party.
As always, our thanks must go to the brave people who spoke out about this abhorrent racism in the Party, often at grave personal expense.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism claimed the party had not carried out investigations into “dozens” of their complaints, and it was “hard for us to feel that a corner has been turned.”
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