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Labour set to expel hundreds who denied extent of antisemitism in party
The party will ask its ruling body to vote to proscribe four Jeremy Corbyn-supporting groups
July 18, 2021 16:26
The party will ask its ruling body to vote to proscribe four Jeremy Corbyn-supporting groups
July 18, 2021 16:26The Jewish Labour Movement has welcomed news that Labour is ready to expel hundreds of members who denied claims of antisemitism in the party as part of a new purge of the far left.
The party will ask its ruling body, the National Executive Committee, to vote to proscribe four Jeremy Corbyn-supporting groups which have denied the extent of Labour’s antisemitism problem and promote communism.
The groups – Labour Against the Witch Hunt, Socialist Appeal, Labour in Exile and Resist – also welcome members who have been expelled or suspended from the party over antisemitism allegations, including former Momentum vice-chair Jackie Walker.
The NEC will vote on plans to proscribe the four organisations at a meeting on Tuesday, and anyone found to be a member of a proscribed group will be automatically barred from the party.
The vote is expected to pass, leaving more than 1,000 Labour members vulnerable to expulsion.
Mike Katz, national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, told the JC: “We welcome the announcement that the Labour Party will be proscribing these organisations.
“It is absolutely right to make membership of these groups incompatible with being a Labour member. This is a clear signal that the Labour Party is committed to tackling antisemitism in its ranks.
“These groups have made it their mission to deny that antisemitism in our party is a real issue that needs to be addressed and actively work to undermine the progress that’s been made.”
A Labour spokesman said: “Labour is a broad, welcoming and democratic party and we are committed to ensuring it stays that way.
“From time to time, there are groups the NEC will proscribe. The NEC will be asked on Tuesday to consider whether these four organisations are compatible with Labour’s rules or our aims and values.”