Luciana Berger and Mike Katz nominated for life peerages by the PM
Two Jewish Labour campaigners confirmed amongst 30 new Labour peers
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Jewish Labour Movement national chair Mike Katz and former Labour MP Luciana Berger have been made life peers, Downing Street has confirmed.
The two Jewish Labour stalwarts were amongst 30 names nominated by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a political peerage list published on Friday.
Both appointments signified the PM’s recognition of the work both Berger and Katz had done in ridding the Labour Party of the scourge of antisemtism.
Berger quit Labour in protest over antisemitism in Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, returning only under Starmer’s leadership.
The former Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree, she is current Chair of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.
Katz has been National Chair of JLM since 2019, having previously served as vice-chair.
He sits on the Labour Party’s antisemitism advisory board for the Movement.
Since becoming Chair, JLM has worked with the Labour Party to implement the recommendations of the ground-breaking Equality and Human Rights Commission report, including training MPs, party staff and thousands of members.
Katz told Jewish News: “It is an extraordinary honour and privilege to have been asked by the Prime Minister to join the House of Lords as a Labour peer.
“Having fought for Labour values all my life, it is hugely exciting to be able to support the Government as it delivers its agenda for change.
“I will always be proud of the work we in the Jewish Labour Movement undertook during Labour’s antisemitism crisis to help save the Party and make it electable once more. In this fight, we had the best possible partner in Keir Starmer, who has always been resolute in his determination to bring about this change.
“Sadly, antisemitism in the UK is now at unprecedented levels. I will continue to fight this toxic racism and will work to bring communities together in my new role.
“More positively, I passionately believe in this Government’s commitment to creating a fairer, more prosperous society, and its determination to build the homes and the infrastructure that our country needs and our people deserve. I can’t wait to get started.”
David Evans, who was Labour’s general secretary, Steve McCabe, former Labour Friends of Israel parliamentary chair and the former Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones are also awarded peerages, as is former chief of staff to Starmer Sue Gray.
In addition to Gray, another of Starmer’s former close aides, his ex-head of strategy Deborah Mattinson, was named.
The Tory list, compiled by Kemi Badenoch, included Toby Young, the journalist and free speech advocate, and Nigel Biggar, an Oxford academic who has argued for a more positive view of Britain’s colonial past.
After the new appointments Labour has 215 active peers and 277 Conservatives, although 45 of the Tories are hereditary peers.
The government has committed to getting rid of the hereditary peers.
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