Lisa Nandy unveils sweeping action plan for eradicating antisemitism in Labour

Ms Nandy said "part of her thinking" around the task force was to involve the Community Security Trust, the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) and some of the whistleblowers who spoke out from within the party over the crisis on the BBC Panorama documentary.

"They are people with integrity who saw what was going on close hand," she said.

She also said she would ensure that JLM played a central role in efforts to hold training sessions at every Labour branch across the country "into antisemitism, what constitutes it and how it manifests".

Read Lisa Nandy's action plan below

 

 

Speaking to the JC, Ms Nandy said she wanted to unveil her action plan ahead of the JLM's hustings event in north London at which she, Sir Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Emily Thornberry will answer questions from around 700 Jewish Labour members and supporters.

She said: "There are going to be a lot of members questioning daily their decision to stay in the Labour Party.

"They will be looking to the leadership contenders to see we haven't just got a track record of having stood with them - but have actually put some time and thought in what we do next.

"That's why I wanted to publish the action plan tonight and that's why I wanted to talk to you."

The new report - entitled Tackling Antisemitism: An action plan for our party - states: "Our training process must ensure that our members have the tools to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict constructively, without resorting to tropes, and giving members the ability to confront those who seek to weaponise these issues to further an antisemitic agenda."

Ms Nandy said: "JLM were due to deliver training at my CLP two days after the contract  to do so was taken away from them.

"That was a direct consequence of the fact we had a lot of members who felt they were unable to get involved in debates around Israel and Palestine.

"They just didn't know how to talk about it, without, often accidentally causing offence.

"I wanted to make sure for those members, that they had the tools needed to feel empowered to take part.

"But it never happened. I worked with (Jewish former MP and JLM parliamentary chair) Ruth Smeeth and others to try and get it reinstated but met with a brick wall.

"This will change under my leadership."

Ahead of the EHRC's report, now expected in May, Ms Nandy's report also pledged to press party officials to "lower the threshold" for "suspension of membership when there are credible accusations of antisemitism, Islamophobia or other forms of racism."

Ms Nandy said, "according to a briefing" she had been given, decisions on whether to suspend members accused of antisemitism or whether to dish out "reminders of conduct" warnings were being taken "by fairly junior members of staff".

She said she would end this.

Announcing the need for a fully independent disciplinary body, the report says Labour has "faced an antisemitism crisis because there are fringe elements of the left who hold deeply pernicious or ignorant views about Jewish people, and there was a failure or a refusal to act when those people reared their heads in our Party."

Ms Nandy told the JC: "If people are antisemites they should not be voting for me - and I am aware that we still have as a lot of work to do in the party in terms of taking a robust and zero tolerance approach to tackling the problem."

It said there had been "a culture of denial that is in itself antisemitic in the way it contested the complaints of our Jewish members, refusing to allow them to define the very prejudice they face."

Ms Nandy announced "a new, independent complaints process and committee" under her leadership "will include overseeing the drawing up of the plans, which will require careful consultation and thought in order to build faith and confidence in it from the bottom up."

She added the process would be guided by and "adhere to, the IHRA definition of antisemitism and its examples."

Ms Nandy said the independent process would be transparent and effective - and that, once it was established, she would stand by and ensure as leader she could not interfere with the operation of the body.

She said: "I do want to state strongly that its vital the next leader of the Labour Party should have not have oversight of individual cases.

"It is not a question of whether you can trust that individual but there should just not be political, factional or friendship interference in that process at all."

The action plan says that if she is made Labour leader on April 4, Ms Nandy "will personally introduce any rule changes that are required to implement the change to the NEC,and I will lead the fight to pass those changes at Conference. "

Demanding a culture change throughout the party, the report says Labour MPs "should not share platforms with people suspended or expelled for antisemitism and Jewish members have been denied the opportunity to define the very prejudice they face."

She added it was "perfectly possible" to ensure that debate around Israel and Palestine never strayed in the use of antisemitic tropes.

Ms Nandy said the publication of the action plan was designed to show she could "win the battle" by tackling "not just the easy, but the difficult issues" such as the party's ability to debate the Middle East crisis.

In further recognition of the importance of JLM, the plan states: "The Labour Party has a long and proud history of solidarity with the British Jewish community.

"The Jewish Labour Movement helped found the Labour Party, and as one of our oldest socialist societies has always been at the heart of our family. We share not only history but our most deeply held values."

A senior JLM source told the JC that Ms Nandy's action plan appeared to be "a well thought through analysis of how the party had got to this sorry state".

They said that there also appeared to be a "serious proposals on how to move forwards" and added they were "pleased to see JLM played a central role" in the plan.