Labour anti-Semitism crisis: 70 current and former staffers blow whistle
JEREMY CORBYN’S battle to get into Number 10 has been dealt a fresh blow just a week before the election after it emerged 70 serving and former Labour staffers have provided statements to the anti-Semitism investigation.
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Dozens of testimonies have been handed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) since it announced its formal probe earlier this year making Labour only the second political party after the BNP to be investigated by the body. More than 100 statements from Labour members have also been sent to investigators. The leaked documents also revealed that the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) is urging the EHRC to declare Labour institutionally antisemitic.
The JLM, which has been affiliated with Labour for more than 100 years, has said they will not support Mr Corbyn’s party in the December 12 election in an unprecedented move.
The affiliate represents 250 Labour activists from the Jewish community.
One staffer claimed their team was ordered to take a USB sticks containing complaints to the Labour leader’s office in the Commons last summer, The Times reports.
The whistleblower said the socialist’s office would “review, draw up reports and make recommendations regarding further action”.
The employee said staff were told to lie to anyone who questioned them about the USB sticks and instructed not to discuss the matter in party email exchanges.
Instead, they were directed to use their personal email accounts.
Sky News published what it described as extracts from the JLM’s submission to the EHRC.
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The JLM’s statement reads: “JLM hopes that the commission will recognise the overwhelming evidence that antisemitic behaviour is rife within the party, and that the party is itself responsible for committing, permitting and encouraging antisemitic acts.”
A Labour spokeswoman said the party was “fully cooperating with the EHRC” and said it was “categorically untrue” to suggest staffers were told to tell lies.
She added: “The Labour Party is not institutionally antisemitic. We are the only political party that has published figures on cases of antisemitism and we regularly account for the work we are doing to tackle it.
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“We have significantly reformed our procedures over the past year, including recently adopting a proposal by Jeremy Corbyn for rapid expulsions, which allows individuals to be expelled within a matter of weeks in open-and-shut cases.”
This week saw Mr Corbyn finally issued an apology on ITV’s This Morning for the anti-Jewish racism blighting his party after he refused five times to say sorry during an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Neil.
The opposition leader told ITV’s This Morning: “Obviously, I’m very sorry for everything that’s happened but I want to make this clear: I am dealing with it. I have dealt with it.”
On Wednesday an SNP election candidate vowed “not to let the bullies win” after her camping leaflets were sent back to her office with Nazi symbols drawn on them.
Lisa Cameron, who is contesting the East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow seat, tweeted: “Shocking antisemitism on our doorsteps now as my leaflet is defaced and sent back to me by racist cowards.
“If your aim is to deter democracy you won’t win.”