Labour ‘reach settlement’ with 9 activists named in leaked antisemitism report
Documents lodged with the High Court reveal that case between the nine activists who were suing the Labour after their names appeared in a leaked report into antisemitism has been ended.
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Documents lodged with the High Court in London today reveal that case between the nine activists who were suing the Labour after their names appeared in a leaked report into antisemitism has been ended.
While details have yet to emerge, legal sources told Jewish News the case is thought to have ended with an out of court settlement between the two parties.
The notice of discontinuance filed in the High Court discontinues the claim brought by the nine against Labour.
The cases all involve individuals whose personal details were leaked in a 850 page report shortly after Keir Starmer replaced Jeremy Corbyn as leader in April 2020.
Nine of the whistleblowers taking the action were all members of Labour Against Antisemitism group and claimed the party breached their data protection rights and left them open to vicious online attacks.
A Labour Party spokesperson said:“We are grateful to have had the opportunity to have met with members of Labour Against Antisemitism to discuss their concerns and to thank them for all their work in challenging antisemitism.
“We are pleased to be able to move forward in a positive manner.
“The Labour Party is committed to continuing its work on combatting antisemitism.”
Any settlement does not affect the linked legal action the Labour Party is taking against the five former staff members its claims leaked the report on purpose.
Only last week Labour stated that it remained “confident of the case it has presented to the court” as part of a lawsuit against five former staffers accused of leaking an internal report on antisemitism.”
Those staff members include Corbyn’s former chief of staff, Karie Murphy, and his former director of communications, Seumas Milne.
The Party say they and three others leaked the report on purpose to cause damage to the Starmer leadership. The five reject this and any involvement in the leak. That case is now likely to be heard in the High Court next year.
Further legal action between a group of former Labour Party staff whose personal data was also in the leaked report, and the Labour Party is thought not to be impacted by these events.
Jewish News has approached Labour and the solicitors representing the nine activists for comment.
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