As NEC chair, I remain committed to efforts to rid Labour of antisemitism

Having been a member of the national executive committee (NEC) for a combined total of nine years and a long-standing party member for 27 years, I still remember my sense of shame when the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) confirmed just how far the party had fallen when its report into Labour’s antisemitism crisis was published in October 2020.

When I was elected chair of the NEC in 2022, I was determined that those of us who sat on the NEC would do everything in our power to support Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner to rid the party of antisemitism. That is why I am so proud of today’s announcement that the EHRC has concluded its work with the party. This follows a programme of two years’ hard work to fix processes and change the culture – all the time being monitored closely by the human rights watchdog.

Of course, this is not the end. Today’s announcement signals we are on the right path. But this is not a moment to celebrate. It is a moment to apologise again and then redouble our efforts. We need to remain vigilant and not listen to those siren voices who say we can let up, slow down or turn a blind eye again. Words alone cannot fix the pain caused to our Jewish members and will not offer much solace to those who faced bullying or intimidation. But I hope our actions will go some way to persuading those Jewish members to return.

I was proud to be on the NEC when we hard-wired into the rule book fundamental changes to the way we adjudicate complaints. At annual conference 2021, nearly three-quarters of delegates voted to introduce independent scrutiny into our handling of antisemitism and other complaints. This comprehensive set of rule changes increases the rigour that we bring to complaint handling and ensures there will be no going back to the old, less formal ways of doing things.

I believe we are now in a far better place to drive out antisemitism wherever it rears its head. The Labour Party has professionalised how it handles complaints, with comprehensive training for frontline complaint handlers and automated processes to give us the right data, tools and expertise. We have set up two independent complaint boards to have the final say in all antisemitism complaint cases as well as complaints involving other protected characteristics. Alongside the Jewish Labour Movement, we have run a comprehensive antisemitism awareness programme and as a result have trained thousands of politicians, members and staff.

Some have dismissed our problems as just a communications problem. But I always knew they were substantive and real. That means not just a lick of paint but a total rebuild. That’s what we’ve done. And now we’ve got these solid foundations, we can proudly declare we are never going back to the dark days of just a few years ago. As long as I am chair of the NEC and a member of the party that I love, I will always be committed to supporting Keir and Angela to rid the party of antisemitism and restore Labour’s credibility within the Jewish community.