Antisemitism now accounts for 65 percent of disciplinary cases heard by Labour’s NEC
Slight drop in confirmed cases since May, but JLM's Adam Langleben says there 'remains a specific and identifiable issue of this particular racism'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Over 65 per cent of disciplinary cases being heard by Labour ‘s national executive committee (NEC) since May have involved antisemitism, new statistics published by the party confirm.
Official NEC complaints and disciplinary sub-committee statistics published this month reveal that of the1,068 cases determined since 21 May 2020: 65.07% have involved antisemitism.
Senior party figures stressed accepted there was continued concern over the high volume of complaints over alleged anti-Jewish racism, although there appeared to be a drop in cases deemed “high priority.”
There had also been a dramatic improvement in the way the party processes complaints, meaning there was no longer a backlog in the system, left over from the time of previous leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The party publishes the statistics regularly in line with recommendations made by the EHRC report into antisemitism in the party.
The figures show a much smaller 6.27% of complaints have involved bullying, harassment, or intimidation, while 5.43% have involved online misconduct.
A further 3.37% (-0.02%) have involved Islamophobia; 3.18% have involved anti- black racism and 2.25% have involved sexism.
Labour’s disciplinary update also confirms that of the 42 cases determined by the NEC since the last report on 05 July 2022: 45.24% have involved allegations of antisemitism.
Jewish Labour Movement national secretary Adam Langleben tweeted:” Progress is being made but once again antisemitism cases are well above 60% of all cases heard.
“There remains a specific and identifiable issue of this particular racism. Worth remembering that Jews make up 0.3% of the whole population. Probably in Labour Party closer to 1-2%.”
Ann Black, another long-serving NEC member and influential Labour figure, added:” Antisemitism still accounted for a majority of valid complaints, though importantly the proportion judged as high priority was the same as for other protected characteristics. ”
Black added in her regular NEC report:”I have just attended the party’s training session on awareness of Islamophobia, and was struck by how closely the dynamics resemble those underlying antisemitism.”
Meanwhile the new stats confirmed that of the total 1,068 cases determined by sub-panels of the NEC since 21 May 2020: 17.79% have resulted in expulsion, 9.08% have resulted in some form of punitive suspension; 0.84% have been referred to the Independent Complaints Board, while 7.58% have been referred to the National Constitutional Committee.
The figures showed that 20.60% have resulted in the issuing of an NEC formal warning; 19.01% have resulted in the issuing of a reminder of conduct while 11.70% have resulted in the issuing of a reminder of values.
No further action was taken in 13.39% of cases.
In May, Labour confirmed cases involving antisemitism have accounted for over 80 per cent of those determined by its NEC.
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