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The Labor Party has been found responsible for illegal acts of anti-Semitism harassment and discrimination within the party, following an investigation by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (ECHR).
A long-awaited EHRC report on allegations of anti-Semitism in the party has found what it called “serious flaws in the Labor Party leadership in addressing anti-Semitism and an inadequate process for handling complaints of anti-Semitism.”
The investigation said Labor, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, was responsible for three violations of the Equality Act, related to harassment, political interference in anti-Semitism complaints, and inadequate training of those handling complaints.
The EHRC discovered what it said was inappropriate interference in the anti-Semitism complaint process by Corbyn office staff, and 23 cases were found, including staff influencing decisions in areas such as member suspensions. or whether claims should be investigated.
Some of these decisions were made “due to likely media interest rather than formal criteria,” he said.
While there was a broader culture of political interference in certain complaints, according to the report, this occurred more frequently in anti-Semitism cases and was therefore considered discriminatory and illegal.
Among another example of complaint handling malpractice, the EHRC said that an email inbox for complaints “was left largely unsupervised for several years and no action was taken on the majority of complaints addressed to it. sent “. From 70 files reviewed for research. 62 had missing records.
The report found that this element of indirect discrimination against Jewish members, the lack of a proper disciplinary and complaints procedure, lasted until August 2020, four months after Ker Starmer’s tenure, but was now being addressed.
Regarding the conduct of individual members considered illegal harassment, such as using anti-Semitic themes or suggesting that the complaints were false or defamatory, the report mentions two people: Ken Livingston, the former mayor of London; and Pam Bromley, Councilor for Rossendale, Lancashire.
The report said: “As these people acted as agents of the Labor Party, the Labor Party was legally responsible for their conduct.
“In each case, the EHRC considered the perception of those affected by the conduct, and members of the Labor Party told the EHRC that the comments contributed to creating a hostile environment for both Jewish and non-Jewish members.”
However, the EHRC said that these two cases were “only the tip of the iceberg”, and 18 other cases were found in which there was insufficient evidence for a legal conclusion that the party was responsible for the conduct, which encompasses the councilors, candidates and the electoral party. officials.
There were also, according to the report, “many more files” showing evidence of anti-Semitic conduct by a member who had no roles in the party, meaning that Labor could be held responsible for them.
The report makes 11 recommendations, including an independent complaint process and clearer rules, an acknowledgment of prior political interference, and adequate training for those involved in handling complaints.
Caroline Waters, Acting President of the EHRC, said: “The Labor Party is committed to zero tolerance for anti-Semitism. Our research has highlighted multiple areas where your approach and leadership in addressing anti-Semitism was insufficient. This is inexcusable and appears to be the result of an unwillingness to address anti-Semitism rather than an inability to do so. “
The review was launched in 2019 after party whistleblowers alleged that the Labor Party was institutionally anti-Semitic in handling complaints and within local party structures.
