BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: General Secretary of Unite the Union Len McCluskey votes during the third day of the Labour Party conference on September 23, 2019 in Brighton, England. Labour Conference will debate and vote on their Brexit position this afternoon pitting Jeremy Corbyn’s neutral stance against the party membership’s wish to Remain in the UK. Labour Conference returns to Brighton this year against a backdrop of Brexit Chaos. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) The Labour Party expelled 25 of its members on February 12 over allegations of anti-Semitism.
The Jewish Chronicle (JC) reported the expelled members had issued comments such as denouncing “corrupt Jewish bankers,” calling pro-Israel supporters “a dominant and obsessive force,” and posting videos of David Icke, an author who has accused Jews of being behind the Holocaust and the slave trade.
A source from the party told the JC, “As a result of significant reforms made since Jennie Formby became general secretary, our procedures are more effective than ever before and more robust than any other political party, and those who engage in anti-Semitism are being swiftly removed from our ranks.”
However, Labour Against Anti-Semitism tweeted there still are many more cases of anti-Semitism with which the party needs to deal. “This figure of 25 represents a tiny % of all members reported for #LabourAntisemitism since 2015,” it wrote. “While all expulsions for racism are welcome, this action barely scratches the surface of what is required by @UKLabour to effectively tackle institutional anti-Jewish racism.”
This figure of 25 represents a tiny % of all members reported for #LabourAntisemitism since 2015.
While all expulsions for racism are welcome, this action barely scratches the surface of what is required by @UKLabour to effectively tackle institutional anti-Jewish racism.
2/2— LAAS (@LabourAgainstAS) February 12, 2020
Similarly, the JC cited a December Sunday Times report stating “hundreds of complaints had been left unresolved since the summer of 2018, including cases of Holocaust denial.”
At least 10 Labour members resigned from the party in 2019; many stated it was due to then-leader Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to stem rising anti-Semitism in the party. Corbyn stepped down as the party’s leader following Labour’s landslide loss in the December elections.
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