Mordaunt and Mann to lead Board commission tackling Jew hate
EXCLUSIVE: The former leader of the Commons and the government's antisemitism adviser will work with Board of Deputies' Phil Rosenberg
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Former Tory minister Penny Mordaunt and Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, are to lead a wide-ranging Board of Deputies Commission looking into the continued rise of antisemitism in the UK, Jewish News understands.
The two political heavyweights will advise Board president Phil Rosenberg on a Commission which will also encompass a comprehensive review of hate crime legislation, policing and prosecution, including public order and safety.
Mordaunt, a former defence secretary, served as Leader of the House of Commons 2022-24, and was MP for Portsmouth North for 14 years before losing her seat at in July’s election. She has frequently spoken out on antisemitism, and is believed to be keen on a return to political life.
Lord Mann is one of the most authoritative experts in efforts to combat antisemitism, with his role as an independent government adviser first given to him by former PM Theresa May, confirmed as now being central to Keir Starmer’s own work tackling Jew hate.
Mann was Labour MP for Bassetlaw from 2001 until 2019, before vociferously criticising Jeremy Corbyn’s failure on antisemitism. He has since returned to Labour under Starmer, after sitting as an independent peer in the Lords.
A Westminster source praised the pair for agreeing to lead the Board’s commission saying “Mann and Mordaunt really offer much needed expertise and clarity on the issue at a critical time.”
Rosenberg had first pledged to establish the commission during his successful campaign to succeed Marie van der Zyl as Board president.
Ahead of the July general election the Board’s own manifesto pledged a review of “all hate crime legislation, policing, and prosecution, to ensure the toughest possible framework in place for offenders. This should include a review of the Public Order Act and the Online Safety Act, to keep our community safe on the streets and online.”
Last month at a communal event Rosenberg had spelt out the Board’s plans for a new commission on antisemitism, saying that it would encompass a comprehensive review of hate crime legislation, policing and prosecution, including public order and safety.
He added that there would also be “a sector by sector review of the failings in civil society since 7 October, whether in the media, social media universities, workplaces, culture or sport”.
Rosenberg said the Board would be making recommendations on how to tackle extremism, whether from Islamist, far right or far left sources, as well as scaling up interfaith work “to inoculate people against hatred and build understanding”.
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