Labour denies new antisemitism code will punish those who make 'vexatious' accusations

Labour’s leadership has denied claims its new antisemitism code of conduct would include punishing those it deems to have made accusations in bad faith, amid reports its team investigating hundreds of accusations is close to collapsing.

The new code is intended to replace the watered-down version the party adopted in July, after it refused to adopt the internationally-recognised of Jew-hate, which gives examples how criticising Israel can be antisemitic.

A copy of the new proposed code was leaked to the far-left Skwawkbox blog, which has a close relationship with some members of Jeremy Corbyn’s office.

According to the blog, Labour's new code says it will “put a stop" to the "abuse” of accusing someone of antisemitism “as part of a factional agenda.”

But Labour denied the report, calling it “completely wrong.”

The latest allegations have come as the Times reported that hundreds of investigations into antisemitism by Labour party members remain unsolved, with only one person left in the party’s compliance unit to look through cases.

Less than a month ago, Jeremy Corbyn wrote an article for the Guardian in which, although he admitted that “we were too slow in processing disciplinary cases of antisemitic abuse, mostly online, by party members”, he suggested that “cases are now being dealt with much faster. High-profile cases have almost all been resolved.”

Another complaint has been added to the pile, with the Labour Against Antisemitism group reporting the Labour leader himself to the compliance unit “for antisemitism and for bringing the party into disrepute”, after footage emerged of the Labour leader in 2013 suggesting that certain “Zionists… despite having lived in this country for a very long time, probably all their lives, don’t understand English irony.”

Dan Hogan, a former member of Labour’s governance and legal unit, tweeted: “Until last month, I had the unenviable job of investigating antisemitism cases within Labour.

"I've interviewed more antisemites than I care to remember. Most of them make some attempt to disguise what they really think. Not here. This is racism writ large."

Until last month, I had the unenviable job of investigating antisemitism cases within Labour. I've interviewed more antisemites than I care to remember. Most of them make some attempt to disguise what they really think. Not here. This is racism writ large. https://t.co/gT5pPhNgfN
— Dan Hogan (@hogan451) August 24, 2018

“If Corbyn were any other member, he would have been suspended and investigated, and the NEC would nod through the bulging report on his offences. He would join the long queue of other awful people waiting for a disciplinary hearing with the National Constitutional Committee.”