Jennie Formby provides numbers on Labour antisemitism cases

Labour general secretary Jennie Formby has released data on disciplinary cases concerning antisemitism, following the requests for information made at last week’s parliamentary party meeting.

Ahead of the meeting tonight, Formby told MPs that the party received 673 accusations of antisemitism by Labour members between April 2018 and January 2019.

The email informs Labour MPs that:

Of those who were party members

• 96 members were immediately suspended
• 146 received a reminder of conduct
• 220 cases did not have sufficient evidence of a breach of party rules to proceed with an investigation
• 211 were issued with a Notice of Investigation

Of the cases who were issued with a Notice of Investigation or suspension, there have been 96 NEC antisemitism disputes panel decisions

• 42 members referred to national constitutional committee (NCC)
• 16 members issued with a formal NEC warning
• 6 members’ cases were referred for further investigation
• 25 members issued with ‘reminder of conduct’
• 7 members’ cases were closed

The following 18 NCC decisions have been made

• 12 members were expelled
• 6 received sanctions

 

24 cases currently with the NCC, Labour’s top disciplinary body, are outstanding.

A Labour spokesperson commented: “Jennie Formby, after obtaining the NEC’s agreement, has published the figures on antisemitism complaints handled by the party and published a report on the work the party has done and is doing to speed up and strengthen our procedures, increasing transparency.

“These figures relate to about 0.1% of our membership, but one antisemite in our party is one too many. We are committed to tackling antisemitism and rooting it out of our party once and for all.”

Formby has offered the requested information today despite advising MPs last week that she would not release statistics.

Her latest email explains: “The NEC has previously been clear that statistics on disciplinary matters should remain confidential and not be published. This is in line with our policy about not publishing other party statistics.

“However, I took that request very seriously, and considered how it would be disclosed in an open and straightforward way, so that it was not misinterpreted or misused for other purposes by the party’s political rivals.”

She added: “I consulted NEC officers to get their permission to publish data. I pushed hard to get their agreement to do so.”