Lord Falconer won’t lead Labour antisemitism review if EHRC probes party
EXCLUSIVE: Former Lord Chancellor puts plans on hold and tells Jewish News he would welcome equalities watchdog investigation
Justin Cohen is the News Editor at the Jewish News
Lord Falconer has told Labour chiefs he won’t take on a probe into the party’s handling of antisemitism while the equalities watchdog is looking into the issue.
The former Lord Chancellor had been asked by the party to conduct a review and was in the process of finalising terms when the Equalities and Human Rights Commission announced yesterday action that could lead to a formal investigation.
Speaking exclusively to the Jewish News, he said: “In light of the commission coming in, I think we’ve got to put it on hold, see what the Commission is going to do. If they are minded to do an investigation, they will have a range of statutory powers to get documents, emails, Whatsapp messages and witnesses, and they will do an investigation that will be completely independent from the Labour Party.
“So there is no point in me, with my firm of solicitors, coming in and doing exactly the same thing because it won’t carry the same degree of statutory support as the commission has.”
After complaints from the Jewish Labour Movement and Campaign against Antisemitism, the EHRC has said the party “may have unlawfully discriminated against people based on their ethnicity and religious belief” – a claim Labour has vigorously denied while pledging to cooperate with the watchdog. Lord Falconer said the EHRC “may well” move to an official probe – a move he would “welcome” to shine a much-needed “bright light” on how officials have dealt with disciplinary cases.
Falconer previously told the Sunday Times who has claimed that Jeremy Corbyn could not enter Number 10 while the antisemitism crisis rumbled on but Jewish MP Margaret Hodge led criticism of the potential appointment, saying a Labour peer could not be sufficiently independent. Since then, confidence in the process has been further undermined by claims of political interference from the leader’s office and his allies in disciplinary decisions.
Ruth Smeeth sad the process “clearly isn’t independent”, while Wes Streeting took to Twitter to say it was “crystal clear members of staff in Corbyn’s office directed Labour Party staff on how to handle cases”. Labour claimed cases of HQ seeking advice from political appointees were limited and part of a process since overhauled.
Falconer said he was “very concerned” by the revelations but they had not put him off his intention to take on the job if he was given sufficient resource. On the contrary, he said: “The recent revelations made it all the more important to me that there be as bright a light shone on what was going on as possible.”
He added: “The party had been cooperative in relation to the things I was asking for. We hadn’t reached a final conclusion on resources but by and large, progress was been made so they had agreed that I could see everything and they agreed that I could have some assistance. The reason I’m not doing it is do with there being a statutory body possibly coming. They haven’t committed to doing an investigation yet, but it may be well that they will.”
The peer, who served in the cabinet under Tony Blair, said there would “definitely” still be a job for him to do if the EHRC does not hold a formal probe. “Then it would be incredibly important for there to be as bright a light as possible through the disciplinary process. If the commission come in, that will happen and I would welcome that,” he said.
The CAA’s Joe Glasman said: ““Lord Falconer is right to let the Equality and Human Rights Commission get on with its work. He had already made up his mind on crucial issues, declaring that he would not be criticising Labour’s leadership and even defending Jeremy Corbyn’s opposition to the removal of the notorious antisemitic mural in Tower Hamlets. The last thing that we need is another inadequate review by a Labour peer, which is why we are pleased that the Commission has decided to act on our referral and investigate the Labour Party.
“The Commission has the power to compel the Party to produce any evidence it requires, and the authority to force the Party to act. Lord Falconer could never have had those powers, nor could we have had confidence in him to investigate the Party’s antisemitism problem impartially and comprehensively, as we are confident that the Commission will.”
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.