Labour responds to antisemitism claims raised by equality watchdog

Labour has responded to antisemitism claims in the party today after it was granted a week-long extension by the Equality and Human Right Commission (EHRC).

The equalities watchdog will now consider Labour’s response and determine whether to launch a formal human rights investigation.

If such an investigation is opened, the commission could compel the party to reveal details of its handling of antisemitism cases, including through internal communications like emails and texts.

Labour was originally given two weeks to provide the EHRC with a satisfactory response, but the deadline was pushed back by another week.

“They came back and had some questions and they needed a little bit of time,” an EHRC spokesperson told the Jewish News.

The equality watchdog said earlier this month it believes Labour may have “unlawfully discriminated against people because of their ethnicity and religious beliefs”.

The probe follows complaints from the Jewish Labour Movement and Campaign against Antisemitism.

The last time a statutory probe was launched by the body was in relation to the Metropolitan Police.