Equality Watchdog Finds Labour Harassed Jewish Members
An investigation into anti-Semitism by the Equality and Human Rights Commission has found Labour responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination.
The party could face legal action after the equalities watchdog found the party guilty of three breaches of the law, including political interference in the complaints process.
The EHRC inquiry was triggered in May 2019, when Jeremy Corbyn was leader, with the body saying it had been approached about a number of complaints.
Labour has been served with a legal notice and has six weeks to respond with an action plan.
The body did not make a finding on whether the party was institutionally anti-Semitic, but said its analysis “points to a culture within the party which, at best, did not do enough to prevent antisemitism and, at worst, could be seen to accept it”.
The report names two individuals whose anti-Semitic conduct the Labour Party was responsible for - former London mayor Ken Livingston and councillor Pam Bromley.
Both were found to have used anti-Semitic tropes and suggested anti-Semitism accusations were fake smears. The EHRC found they were representing the Labour Party at the time.
The EHRC also said it “uncovered serious failings” in the way complaints were handled, until at least 2018.
The report stated: “We found that the Labour Party’s response to anti-Semitism complaints has been inconsistent, poor and not transparent, in terms of the process used, reasons for decisions, record-keeping, delay and failures to communicate with complainants.
“Some complaints were unjustifiably not investigated at all.”
The body found the party is responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act (2010) relating to:
The report also found “evidence of political interference in the handling of anti-Semitism complaints throughout the period of the...
