labourlist--2020-10-29--Angela Rayner says Corbyn has “absolute blindspot” on antisemitism

Angela Rayner has said Jeremy Corbyn has an “ absolute blindspot and a denial ” when it comes to issues raised in the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism within the Labour Party .
Commenting on the 128-page document published today , the deputy Labour leader told listeners on BBC ’ s World at One show that the findings of the report were “ stark ” and reiterated Keir Starmer ’ s apology to the Jewish community .
She discussed the suspension of Corbyn from the party for his response to the findings of the EHRC , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has come to this ” and arguing that “ today should be about really listening and reading the report ” .
On the findings of the investigation , Rayner said : “ It ’ s a day of shame for the Labour Party and the findings were stark .
We ’ ve all got to do our bit now and have that commitment to ensure that we implement the changes that are necessary .
“ We can ’ t mitigate away the fact that we are in this very , very difficult position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can to restore the trust between the Labour Party and its members and the Jewish community.
” The EHRC concluded today that Labour is responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints ; failure to provide adequate training to those handling them ; and harassment .
Corbyn issued a statement this morning in response to the report , arguing that the “ the scale of the [ antisemitism ] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour leader , Rayner said this afternoon : “ I ’ m just deeply , deeply upset by the circumstances and really upset that Jeremy wasn ’ t able to see today the pain that the Jewish community has gone through .
“ And the fact that we , including myself as a member of the shadow cabinet , failed in our duty… That ’ s what we should be speaking about today – about our apology for that failure and about doubling down on making sure we do something about.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a thoroughly decent man .
But as Margaret Hodge said in her piece he has an absolute blindspot and a denial when it comes to some of these issues .
“ And that ’ s devastating but as the deputy leader of the Labour Party , I ’ m elected to represent and to ensure that we uphold our values and today is about making sure we do that .
“ So it ’ s not about personal friendships , it ’ s about making sure that we ensure that the Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jewish community.
” Asked why she and others did not take action as members of Corbyn ’ s shadow cabinet , Rayner said : “ We spoke out about the issues .
I didn ’ t have access to the complaints that were going on at the time , but we certainly collectively raised concerns about the allegations that were being made about the process… “ We knew that there were complaints being raised , absolutely , and I raised it at the time – as did Keir , as did many members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledged himself .
He said himself that there is a problem in the Labour Party .
“ But we failed .
We absolutely failed .
We collectively failed , and that ’ s what the report says.
” She added : “ Myself and Keir have said quite categorically that we will accept the recommendations of the report… We unreservedly apologise to the Jewish community and those that faced that harassment and indirect discrimination.
” Starmer told a press conference this morning : “ I found this report hard to read .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Labour Party .
We have failed Jewish people .
Our members .
Our supporters .
And the British public .
“ And so : on behalf of the Labour Party : I am truly sorry for all the pain and grief that has been caused… I will act .
Never again will Labour let you down .
Never again will we fail to tackle antisemitism and never again will we lose your trust.
” In comments that some interpreted as referring to former leader Jeremy Corbyn and other individuals , the Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re antisemitic , you should be nowhere near this party .
And we ’ ll make sure you ’ re not .
“ And if after all the pain , all the grief , and all the evidence in this report , there are still those who think there ’ s no problem with antisemitism in the Labour Party .
That it ’ s all exaggerated , or a factional attack .
“ Then , frankly , you are part of the problem too .
And you should be nowhere near the Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspended from the party , pending investigation , shortly after the press conference .
A number of recommendations have been made by the EHRC for Labour around living up to its zero-tolerance commitment on antisemitism , rebuilding trust , education and training and on monitoring and evaluating improvements .
Labour has been served with an unlawful act notice following the investigation .
The party has six weeks to produce an action plan in response to the findings and recommendations of the report published today .
Starmer has pledged to implement an independent complaints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he hopes that this will be “ early next year ” .
Rule changes would normally require conference approval .
The party has until December 10th to deliver an action plan to the EHRC on how it will implement the recommendations and when .
This is legally enforceable by the court if not fulfilled .

Angela Rayner has said Jeremy Corbyn has an “absolute blindspot and a denial” when it comes to issues raised in the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism within the Labour Party.
Commenting on the 128-page document published today, the deputy Labour leader told listeners on BBC’s World at One show that the findings of the report were “stark” and reiterated Keir Starmer’s apology to the Jewish community.
She discussed the suspension of Corbyn from the party for his response to the findings of the EHRC, saying that she is “devastated that it has come to this” and arguing that “today should be about really listening and reading the report”.
On the findings of the investigation, Rayner said: “It’s a day of shame for the Labour Party and the findings were stark. We’ve all got to do our bit now and have that commitment to ensure that we implement the changes that are necessary.
“We can’t mitigate away the fact that we are in this very, very difficult position and we have to do everything we can to restore the trust between the Labour Party and its members and the Jewish community.”
The EHRC concluded today that Labour is responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints; failure to provide adequate training to those handling them; and harassment.
Corbyn issued a statement this morning in response to the report, arguing that the “the scale of the [antisemitism] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party”.
On this response from the former Labour leader, Rayner said this afternoon: “I’m just deeply, deeply upset by the circumstances and really upset that Jeremy wasn’t able to see today the pain that the Jewish community has gone through.
“And the fact that we, including myself as a member of the shadow cabinet, failed in our duty… That’s what we should be speaking about today – about our apology for that failure and about doubling down on making sure we do something about.”
The deputy Labour leader added: “Jeremy is a thoroughly decent man. But as Margaret Hodge said in her piece he has an absolute blindspot and a denial when it comes to some of these issues.
“And that’s devastating but as the deputy leader of the Labour Party, I’m elected to represent and to ensure that we uphold our values and today is about making sure we do that.
“So it’s not about personal friendships, it’s about making sure that we ensure that the Labour Party does the right thing by the Jewish community.”
Asked why she and others did not take action as members of Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, Rayner said: “We spoke out about the issues. I didn’t have access to the complaints that were going on at the time, but we certainly collectively raised concerns about the allegations that were being made about the process…
“We knew that there were complaints being raised, absolutely, and I raised it at the time – as did Keir, as did many members of the shadow cabinet, as Jeremy acknowledged himself. He said himself that there is a problem in the Labour Party.
“But we failed. We absolutely failed. We collectively failed, and that’s what the report says.”
She added: “Myself and Keir have said quite categorically that we will accept the recommendations of the report… We unreservedly apologise to the Jewish community and those that faced that harassment and indirect discrimination.”
Starmer told a press conference this morning: “I found this report hard to read. And it is a day of shame for the Labour Party. We have failed Jewish people. Our members. Our supporters. And the British public.
“And so: on behalf of the Labour Party: I am truly sorry for all the pain and grief that has been caused… I will act. Never again will Labour let you down. Never again will we fail to tackle antisemitism and never again will we lose your trust.”
In comments that some interpreted as referring to former leader Jeremy Corbyn and other individuals, the Labour leader declared: “If you’re antisemitic, you should be nowhere near this party. And we’ll make sure you’re not.
“And if after all the pain, all the grief, and all the evidence in this report, there are still those who think there’s no problem with antisemitism in the Labour Party. That it’s all exaggerated, or a factional attack.
“Then, frankly, you are part of the problem too. And you should be nowhere near the Labour Party either.” Former leader Corbyn was suspended from the party, pending investigation, shortly after the press conference.
A number of recommendations have been made by the EHRC for Labour around living up to its zero-tolerance commitment on antisemitism, rebuilding trust, education and training and on monitoring and evaluating improvements.
Labour has been served with an unlawful act notice following the investigation. The party has six weeks to produce an action plan in response to the findings and recommendations of the report published today.
Starmer has pledged to implement an independent complaints process “as quickly as possible” and he hopes that this will be “early next year”. Rule changes would normally require conference approval.
The party has until December 10th to deliver an action plan to the EHRC on how it will implement the recommendations and when. This is legally enforceable by the court if not fulfilled.


labourlist--2020-10-29--Corbyn should “reflect” on standing down as MP, says Luciana Berger

Former Labour MP Luciana Berger has said that Jeremy Corbyn should “ reflect ” on standing down as an MP in light of the findings of the newly released Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism .
Berger , who was one of Labour ’ s few Jewish MPs before leaving the party in 2018 , told Radio 5 today that Corbyn ’ s actions suggested he was an antisemite and his response to the report today showed he was “ not prepared to take responsibility ” .
She also criticised current Labour leader Keir Starmer during the interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues “ could have done more ” to help stamp out antisemitism in the party while serving under Corbyn .
The interview came shortly before Labour announced that Corbyn has been suspended by the party pending investigation , and has had the whip removed from the Parliamentary Labour Party for his response to the EHRC report this morning .
Asked whether Corbyn was antisemitic , the former MP for Liverpool Wavertree said : “ I call a spade a spade .
If someone themselves makes antisemitic comments , if someone themselves shares a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antisemitic.
” She added : “ The Labour Party in the wake of this report needs to look at whether he needs to be investigated for antisemitism… Certainly in the wake of the report and its findings , the party has a massive job to do .
“ To look at all its processes and all of the things that happened over the course of the last five years , that includes the actions of the person at the helm of the Labour Party at that time , Jeremy Corbyn.
” Asked whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand down as an MP , she added : “ Certainly , the depth that he took the Labour Party to is unforgivable and it will be for him to determine the actions that he takes .
“ But certainly , the statement that we have heard from him today will provide no comfort to the countless Jewish party members and activists that stood by our side today .
And it would be for him to reflect on .
“ In terms of the actual process through which that could occur , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think it could happen .
Certainly , it ’ s for him to reflect on what happened , but it doesn ’ t look like we ’ re going to see any contrition today.
” The EHRC report on Labour antisemitism has been published today following a formal investigation into the party that started in May 2019 .
It has found that there were “ unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination ” .
Corbyn has claimed in response to the report that the “ the scale of the [ antisemitism ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party ” .
Asked whether she would talk to Corbyn now in light of this response , former Labour MP Berger said : “ I don ’ t think in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn ’ s comments today there ’ s anything for us to discuss .
“ Even in the wake of a statutory body finding that the party under his leadership was responsible for harassment and discrimination against Jewish party members , he is still not prepared to take responsibility .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said : “ Starmer last night phoned me and extended an apology on behalf of the entire Labour Party for the events that had happened and for the distress and the experience that I went through.
” She explained that the conversation was the first time the two of them had spoken since September 2018 .
The former MP was then asked whether Starmer could have done more while serving as Shadow Brexit Secretary under Corbyn .
Berger responded : “ Ultimately the responsibility lies with Jeremy Corbyn as the leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Certainly , there are people in all levels of leadership that could have done more.
” The EHRC report found that there were “ unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination for which the Labour Party is responsible ” , “ serious failings in leadership and an inadequate process for handling antisemitism complaints ” .
After repeatedly complaining to Labour about Corbyn but not finding that it would open an investigation , the Campaign Against Antisemitism formally referred the party to the EHRC in July 2018 .
The EHRC decided that the threshold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met and launched a probe in May 2019 into whether Labour had “ unlawfully discriminated against , harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish ” .
The Labour Party has been served with an unlawful act notice .
The party has six weeks to produce an action plan in response to the findings and recommendations of the report published today .

Former Labour MP Luciana Berger has said that Jeremy Corbyn should “reflect” on standing down as an MP in light of the findings of the newly released Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism.
Berger, who was one of Labour’s few Jewish MPs before leaving the party in 2018, told Radio 5 today that Corbyn’s actions suggested he was an antisemite and his response to the report today showed he was “not prepared to take responsibility”.
She also criticised current Labour leader Keir Starmer during the interview, saying he and his shadow cabinet colleagues “could have done more” to help stamp out antisemitism in the party while serving under Corbyn.
The interview came shortly before Labour announced that Corbyn has been suspended by the party pending investigation, and has had the whip removed from the Parliamentary Labour Party for his response to the EHRC report this morning.
Asked whether Corbyn was antisemitic, the former MP for Liverpool Wavertree said: “I call a spade a spade. If someone themselves makes antisemitic comments, if someone themselves shares a platform with antisemites, they’re antisemitic.”
She added: “The Labour Party in the wake of this report needs to look at whether he needs to be investigated for antisemitism… Certainly in the wake of the report and its findings, the party has a massive job to do.
“To look at all its processes and all of the things that happened over the course of the last five years, that includes the actions of the person at the helm of the Labour Party at that time, Jeremy Corbyn.”
Asked whether that meant he should be made to stand down as an MP, she added: “Certainly, the depth that he took the Labour Party to is unforgivable and it will be for him to determine the actions that he takes.
“But certainly, the statement that we have heard from him today will provide no comfort to the countless Jewish party members and activists that stood by our side today. And it would be for him to reflect on.
“In terms of the actual process through which that could occur, it’s quite technical and I don’t think it could happen. Certainly, it’s for him to reflect on what happened, but it doesn’t look like we’re going to see any contrition today.”
The EHRC report on Labour antisemitism has been published today following a formal investigation into the party that started in May 2019. It has found that there were “unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination”.
Corbyn has claimed in response to the report that the “the scale of the [antisemitism] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party”.
Asked whether she would talk to Corbyn now in light of this response, former Labour MP Berger said: “I don’t think in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s comments today there’s anything for us to discuss.
“Even in the wake of a statutory body finding that the party under his leadership was responsible for harassment and discrimination against Jewish party members, he is still not prepared to take responsibility.
On the actions of the current Labour leader, she said: “Starmer last night phoned me and extended an apology on behalf of the entire Labour Party for the events that had happened and for the distress and the experience that I went through.”
She explained that the conversation was the first time the two of them had spoken since September 2018. The former MP was then asked whether Starmer could have done more while serving as Shadow Brexit Secretary under Corbyn.
Berger responded: “Ultimately the responsibility lies with Jeremy Corbyn as the leader of the Labour Party at that time. Certainly, there are people in all levels of leadership that could have done more.”
The EHRC report found that there were “unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination for which the Labour Party is responsible”, “serious failings in leadership and an inadequate process for handling antisemitism complaints”.
After repeatedly complaining to Labour about Corbyn but not finding that it would open an investigation, the Campaign Against Antisemitism formally referred the party to the EHRC in July 2018.
The EHRC decided that the threshold for a full statutory investigation had been met and launched a probe in May 2019 into whether Labour had “unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish”.
The Labour Party has been served with an unlawful act notice. The party has six weeks to produce an action plan in response to the findings and recommendations of the report published today.


labourlist--2020-10-29--Labour suspends Jeremy Corbyn from the party pending investigation

The Labour Party has suspended former leader Jeremy Corbyn pending investigation following his comments responding to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report that was released today .
A Labour spokesperson said : “ In light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them subsequently , the Labour Party has suspended Jeremy Corbyn pending investigation .
He has also had the whip removed from the Parliamentary Labour Party.
” Reacting to the EHRC report , which found Labour was responsible for “ unlawful acts ” , Corbyn claimed that “ the scale of the problem was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponents ” .
The former leader posted on social media : “ Anyone claiming there is no antisemitism in the Labour Party is wrong .
Of course there is , as there is throughout society , and sometimes it is voiced by people who think of themselves as on the left .
“ Jewish members of our party and the wider community were right to expect us to deal with it , and I regret that it took longer to deliver that change than it should .
“ One antisemite is one too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party , as well as by much of the media .
That combination hurt Jewish people and must never be repeated .
“ My sincere hope is that relations with Jewish communities can be rebuilt and those fears overcome .
While I do not accept all of its findings , I trust its recommendations will be swiftly implemented to help move on from this period.
” In his own response to the EHRC findings , Keir Starmer declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antisemitic , you should be nowhere near this party .
And we ’ ll make sure you ’ re not .
“ And if after all the pain , all the grief , and all the evidence in this report , there are still those who think there ’ s no problem with antisemitism in the Labour Party .
That it ’ s all exaggerated , or a factional attack .
“ Then , frankly , you are part of the problem too .
And you should be nowhere near the Labour Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time to confirm whether disciplinary action would be taken against Corbyn following his statement on the EHRC report , but many suspected his remarks were a reference to his predecessor .
Responding to the suspension of Corbyn , who was Labour leader less than seven months ago , the party-affiliated Jewish Labour Movement said : “ Denial of antisemitism is part of the problem .
“ Keir Starmer made that clear and said that he would act and that it would have no place in the Labour Party .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acted.
” Labour ’ s deputy leader Angela Rayner has told BBC Radio 4 ’ s World At One that she believes Corbyn is a “ decent man ” but has a “ blind spot when it comes to these issues ” .
The Campaign Against Antisemitism , which was a complainant in the EHRC investigation , has submitted complaints today about Labour MPs such as Corbyn , Diane Abbott , Rebecca Long-Bailey .
The list of MPs with CAA complaints against them also includes current frontbencher Steve Reed , who suggested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ puppet master ” , and deputy leader Angela Rayner .
Asked about the other complaints , a Labour spokesperson said : “ The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures , and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.
” Update , 1.54pm : Jeremy Corbyn has tweeted in response to the suspension : “ I will strongly contest the political intervention to suspend me .
“ I ’ ve made absolutely clear those who deny there has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party are wrong .
I will continue to support a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of racism.
” Update , 2.30pm : John McDonnell has tweeted that the suspension of Corbyn is “ profoundly wrong ” on a day that “ we should all be moving forward ” , adding : “ In interests of party unity let ’ s find a way of undoing [ and ] resolving this.
” Update , 3pm : Corbyn has issued a fresh statement , which reads : “ I will strongly contest the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve made absolutely clear that those who deny there has been an antisemitism problem in the Labour Party are wrong .
“ It ’ s also undeniable that a false impression has been created of the number of members accused of antisemitism , as polling shows : that is what has been overstated , not the seriousness of the problem .
“ I will continue to support a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of racism .
And I urge all members to stay calm and focused – while this problem is resolved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be – to defeat this awful government , which is further impoverishing the poorest in our society .
”

The Labour Party has suspended former leader Jeremy Corbyn pending investigation following his comments responding to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report that was released today.
A Labour spokesperson said: “In light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them subsequently, the Labour Party has suspended Jeremy Corbyn pending investigation. He has also had the whip removed from the Parliamentary Labour Party.”
Reacting to the EHRC report, which found Labour was responsible for “unlawful acts”, Corbyn claimed that “the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents”.
The former leader posted on social media: “Anyone claiming there is no antisemitism in the Labour Party is wrong. Of course there is, as there is throughout society, and sometimes it is voiced by people who think of themselves as on the left.
“Jewish members of our party and the wider community were right to expect us to deal with it, and I regret that it took longer to deliver that change than it should.
“One antisemite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media. That combination hurt Jewish people and must never be repeated.
“My sincere hope is that relations with Jewish communities can be rebuilt and those fears overcome. While I do not accept all of its findings, I trust its recommendations will be swiftly implemented to help move on from this period.”
In his own response to the EHRC findings, Keir Starmer declared today: “If you’re antisemitic, you should be nowhere near this party. And we’ll make sure you’re not.
“And if after all the pain, all the grief, and all the evidence in this report, there are still those who think there’s no problem with antisemitism in the Labour Party. That it’s all exaggerated, or a factional attack.
“Then, frankly, you are part of the problem too. And you should be nowhere near the Labour Party either.”
The current Labour leader refused at the time to confirm whether disciplinary action would be taken against Corbyn following his statement on the EHRC report, but many suspected his remarks were a reference to his predecessor.
Responding to the suspension of Corbyn, who was Labour leader less than seven months ago, the party-affiliated Jewish Labour Movement said: “Denial of antisemitism is part of the problem.
“Keir Starmer made that clear and said that he would act and that it would have no place in the Labour Party. He has taken responsibility and the Labour Party has acted.”
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has told BBC Radio 4’s World At One that she believes Corbyn is a “decent man” but has a “blind spot when it comes to these issues”.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism, which was a complainant in the EHRC investigation, has submitted complaints today about Labour MPs such as Corbyn, Diane Abbott, Rebecca Long-Bailey.
The list of MPs with CAA complaints against them also includes current frontbencher Steve Reed, who suggested in July that Tory donor Richard Desmond was a “puppet master”, and deputy leader Angela Rayner.
Asked about the other complaints, a Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”
Update, 1.54pm: Jeremy Corbyn has tweeted in response to the suspension: “I will strongly contest the political intervention to suspend me.
“I’ve made absolutely clear those who deny there has been an antisemitism problem in the Labour Party are wrong. I will continue to support a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of racism.”
Update, 2.30pm: John McDonnell has tweeted that the suspension of Corbyn is “profoundly wrong” on a day that “we should all be moving forward”, adding: “In interests of party unity let’s find a way of undoing [and] resolving this.”
Update, 3pm: Corbyn has issued a fresh statement, which reads: “I will strongly contest the political intervention to suspend me. I’ve made absolutely clear that those who deny there has been an antisemitism problem in the Labour Party are wrong.
“It’s also undeniable that a false impression has been created of the number of members accused of antisemitism, as polling shows: that is what has been overstated, not the seriousness of the problem.
“I will continue to support a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of racism. And I urge all members to stay calm and focused – while this problem is resolved amicably, as I believe it will be – to defeat this awful government, which is further impoverishing the poorest in our society.”


labourlist--2020-10-29--Corbyn in “permanent denial” over antisemitism, says Margaret Hodge

Margaret Hodge has said the statement issued by Jeremy Corbyn in response to the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report shows that he is in “ permanent denial ” about Labour antisemitism .
During a press conference by the Jewish Labour Movement this afternoon , the parliamentary chair of the organisation discussed the report that has found Labour breached the Equality Act 2010 in its handling over antisemitism .
Corbyn has claimed in response to the EHRC report that the “ the scale of the [ antisemitism ] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Asked about the former Labour leader ’ s reaction to the document , Hodge said : “ The statement that Jeremy chose to put out today demonstrates that he is in permanent denial about the extent of the problem… “ Even when the evidence is placed in front of him he fails really to understand the importance and severity of it .
It happened on his watch .
He shamed the Labour Party .
He sat at the centre of a party that enabled antisemitism to spread from the fringes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve got to tell you this , he is yesterday ’ s man .
He is absolutely irrelevant and I think that for us today , what we ’ re looking to – thank goodness – is the present and the future… “ We ’ ve had a lot of really good commitments out of Keir Starmer and his leadership today .
We ’ ve seen a few good actions but what we now have to do is ensure , and he knows this , that his actions match up to his words.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Keir Starmer made it very clear that any Labour Party member who engages in denialism or seeks to diminish the impact of antisemitism on Jewish Labour Party members or what has happened has no place in the future of the Labour Party .
“ Having made those statements , it is now for the Labour Party to demonstrate that they are going to put them into action and that will be the fist priority of JLM in making sure that happens .
So we will be watching very closely.
” Keir Starmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shame for the Labour Party ” and during his own press conference apologised to party members and the Jewish community “ for all the pain and grief that has been caused ” .
Asked whether further action would be taken against Jeremy Corbyn and other individuals , Starmer said : “ There is a collective finding of a failure of leadership and we need to understand that and accept that… “ But there were not individual findings against Jeremy and others .
It is incumbent on all of us to accept the findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recommendations and all of us including myself to apologise.
” Pressed on whether she thinks Corbyn should remain in the party following his statement , Hodge replied : “ I don ’ t want to be diverted from the main challenges that we ’ re facing… It just doesn ’ t matter.
” The EHRC report found that there were “ unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination for which the Labour Party is responsible ” , “ serious failings in leadership and an inadequate process for handling antisemitism complaints ” .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not finding that it would open an investigation , the Campaign Against Antisemitism formally referred the party to the EHRC in July 2018 .
The EHRC decided that the threshold for a full statutory investigation had been met and launched a probe in May 2019 into whether Labour had “ unlawfully discriminated against , harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish ” .
The Labour Party has been served with an unlawful act notice .
The party has six weeks to produce an action plan in response to the findings and recommendations @ @ @ @ @ @

Margaret Hodge has said the statement issued by Jeremy Corbyn in response to the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report shows that he is in “permanent denial” about Labour antisemitism.
During a press conference by the Jewish Labour Movement this afternoon, the parliamentary chair of the organisation discussed the report that has found Labour breached the Equality Act 2010 in its handling over antisemitism.
Corbyn has claimed in response to the EHRC report that the “the scale of the [antisemitism] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party”.
Asked about the former Labour leader’s reaction to the document, Hodge said: “The statement that Jeremy chose to put out today demonstrates that he is in permanent denial about the extent of the problem…
“Even when the evidence is placed in front of him he fails really to understand the importance and severity of it. It happened on his watch. He shamed the Labour Party. He sat at the centre of a party that enabled antisemitism to spread from the fringes to the mainstream.
“But I’ve got to tell you this, he is yesterday’s man. He is absolutely irrelevant and I think that for us today, what we’re looking to – thank goodness – is the present and the future…
“We’ve had a lot of really good commitments out of Keir Starmer and his leadership today. We’ve seen a few good actions but what we now have to do is ensure, and he knows this, that his actions match up to his words.”
JLM secretary Peter Mason added: “Keir Starmer made it very clear that any Labour Party member who engages in denialism or seeks to diminish the impact of antisemitism on Jewish Labour Party members or what has happened has no place in the future of the Labour Party.
“Having made those statements, it is now for the Labour Party to demonstrate that they are going to put them into action and that will be the fist priority of JLM in making sure that happens. So we will be watching very closely.”
Keir Starmer described today as a “day of shame for the Labour Party” and during his own press conference apologised to party members and the Jewish community “for all the pain and grief that has been caused”.
Asked whether further action would be taken against Jeremy Corbyn and other individuals, Starmer said: “There is a collective finding of a failure of leadership and we need to understand that and accept that…
“But there were not individual findings against Jeremy and others. It is incumbent on all of us to accept the findings, all of us to act on the recommendations and all of us including myself to apologise.”
Pressed on whether she thinks Corbyn should remain in the party following his statement, Hodge replied: “I don’t want to be diverted from the main challenges that we’re facing… It just doesn’t matter.”
The EHRC report found that there were “unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination for which the Labour Party is responsible”, “serious failings in leadership and an inadequate process for handling antisemitism complaints”.
After repeatedly complaining to Labour about Corbyn but not finding that it would open an investigation, the Campaign Against Antisemitism formally referred the party to the EHRC in July 2018.
The EHRC decided that the threshold for a full statutory investigation had been met and launched a probe in May 2019 into whether Labour had “unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish”.
The Labour Party has been served with an unlawful act notice. The party has six weeks to produce an action plan in response to the findings and recommendations of the report published today.


labourlist--2020-10-30--There is “a way back” for Jeremy Corbyn, says Shadow Welsh Secretary

Labour ’ s Nia Griffiths has said “ there can be a way back ” for Jeremy Corbyn after the former Labour leader was suspended from the party following his reaction to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism .
Discussing the disciplinary action on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast , the Shadow Welsh Secretary told listeners that there is a “ proper process ” to be followed in relation to Corbyn ’ s membership suspension and removal of the parliamentary whip .
Commenting on the report , Griffith said : “ This is a report , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly to us as a party which has championed equality and human rights , to find ourselves the subject of an investigation and the findings , of course , as dreadful as they are .
“ As Keir Starmer said very clearly , we accept in full this report and that means not denying or belittling the problem.
” The EHRC concluded on Thursday that Labour is responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act – relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints ; failure to provide adequate training to those handling them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement in response to the report , which claimed the “ the scale of the [ antisemitism ] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party ” .
A Labour spokesperson subsequently announced that Corbyn had been suspended , and the Parliamentary Labour Party whip removed from the Labour MP , “ in light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them ” .
Asked if there is any way back from suspension for the Islington MP , Griffith told listeners : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proper process .
I ’ m sure that there can be a way back if that ’ s what he chooses.
” Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said on Thursday that the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn was a move that “ will create chaos within the party ” and urged the new Labour leader to find a “ unifying way forward ” .
Commenting on the remarks by the general secretary , Griffith argued that McCluskey has “ always had his own views… but I do think that the majority of our members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do want us to be in the right place on this ” .
Asked whether she regretted serving in the shadow cabinet under Corbyn as leader , she explained : “ No , and I think the point is that what we both tried to do , both Keir Starmer and I in shadow cabinet and out on the media , was say ‘ this is a problem that needed to be put right . '
” Several MPs and groups within the Labour Party , as well as trade union Unite leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is wrong , and called on the Labour leader to reverse the disciplinary action taken against Corbyn .
Keir Starmer has this morning defended the move from the party as “ appropriate ” but argued that he does not want a “ civil war ” .
He said : “ That ’ s the right action – difficult , very difficult action but the right action , which I fully support .
”

Labour’s Nia Griffiths has said “there can be a way back” for Jeremy Corbyn after the former Labour leader was suspended from the party following his reaction to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism.
Discussing the disciplinary action on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, the Shadow Welsh Secretary told listeners that there is a “proper process” to be followed in relation to Corbyn’s membership suspension and removal of the parliamentary whip.
Commenting on the report, Griffith said: “This is a report, which has been very upsetting, very shocking, particularly to us as a party which has championed equality and human rights, to find ourselves the subject of an investigation and the findings, of course, as dreadful as they are.
“As Keir Starmer said very clearly, we accept in full this report and that means not denying or belittling the problem.”
The EHRC concluded on Thursday that Labour is responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act – relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints; failure to provide adequate training to those handling them; and harassment.
Corbyn issued a statement in response to the report, which claimed the “the scale of the [antisemitism] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party”.
A Labour spokesperson subsequently announced that Corbyn had been suspended, and the Parliamentary Labour Party whip removed from the Labour MP, “in light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them”.
Asked if there is any way back from suspension for the Islington MP, Griffith told listeners: “Absolutely, there’s a proper process. I’m sure that there can be a way back if that’s what he chooses.”
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said on Thursday that the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn was a move that “will create chaos within the party” and urged the new Labour leader to find a “unifying way forward”.
Commenting on the remarks by the general secretary, Griffith argued that McCluskey has “always had his own views… but I do think that the majority of our members want to get things right, they do want us to be in the right place on this”.
Asked whether she regretted serving in the shadow cabinet under Corbyn as leader, she explained: “No, and I think the point is that what we both tried to do, both Keir Starmer and I in shadow cabinet and out on the media, was say ‘this is a problem that needed to be put right.'”
Several MPs and groups within the Labour Party, as well as trade union Unite leader Len McCluskey have argued that the suspension is wrong, and called on the Labour leader to reverse the disciplinary action taken against Corbyn.
Keir Starmer has this morning defended the move from the party as “appropriate” but argued that he does not want a “civil war”. He said: “That’s the right action – difficult, very difficult action but the right action, which I fully support.”


labourlist--2020-10-30--Labour secures five-point lead over Tories, Ipsos MORI poll shows

New polling has indicated that the Labour Party is now leading the Tories on Westminster voting intention by five points , with 42 % of people saying they would back Labour compared to 37 % who would vote for the Conservatives .
In research carried out between October 22nd and 28th , Ipsos MORI has shown that support for the opposition party rose five points points since last month while Boris Johnson ’ s Tory Party saw its popularity fall by three .
This is the first time that Labour has been ahead in an Ipsos MORI poll since Theresa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson took over the top job , with the party seeing its best score since March 2018 .
The research also showed that satisfaction with the way in which the Prime Minister has been running the country has fallen sharply – just 33 % of respondents reported that they are satisfied , down from 40 % last month , with 59 % dissatisfied .
Labour leader Keir Starmer ’ s approval ratings are positive as the survey indicated that 45 % of the British public are happy with his performance , compared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Conservative Party has faced significant public and political pressure since it voted down a recent motion put forward by Labour that called on the government to provide free school meals for children during the holidays .
As Ipsos MORI has highlighted , the field work was carried out before publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism within Labour and the suspension of former party leader Jeremy Corbyn .
YouGov polling on Thursday indicated that 58 % of the public thought that the party was right to suspend Corbyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was wrong .
29 % of respondents opted for ‘ don ’ t know ’ .
A higher proportion thought the disciplinary action was wrong among Labour voters .
Of those who backed the party in 2019 , one in four ( 26 % ) stated it was wrong to suspend the former Labour leader compared to 41 % who thought it was right .
The EHRC concluded on Thursday that Labour is responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act – relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints ; failure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and harassment .
Corbyn issued a statement in response to the EHRC report , which claimed the “ the scale of the [ antisemitism ] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party ” .
A Labour spokesperson subsequently announced that Corbyn had been suspended , and the Parliamentary Labour Party whip removed from the Labour MP , “ in light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them ” .
Several MPs and groups within the Labour Party , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCluskey have argued that the suspension is wrong , and called on the Labour leader to reverse the disciplinary action taken against Corbyn .
Keir Starmer has this morning defended the move from the party as “ appropriate ” but argued that he does not want a “ civil war ” .
He said : “ That ’ s the right action – difficult , very difficult action but the right action , which I fully support .
”

New polling has indicated that the Labour Party is now leading the Tories on Westminster voting intention by five points, with 42% of people saying they would back Labour compared to 37% who would vote for the Conservatives.
In research carried out between October 22nd and 28th, Ipsos MORI has shown that support for the opposition party rose five points since last month while Boris Johnson’s Tory Party saw its popularity fall by three.
This is the first time that Labour has been ahead in an Ipsos MORI poll since Theresa May stepped down as Prime Minister and Johnson took over the top job, with the party seeing its best score since March 2018.
The research also showed that satisfaction with the way in which the Prime Minister has been running the country has fallen sharply – just 33% of respondents reported that they are satisfied, down from 40% last month, with 59% dissatisfied.
Labour leader Keir Starmer’s approval ratings are positive as the survey indicated that 45% of the British public are happy with his performance, compared to 30% who declared themselves dissatisfied.
The Conservative Party has faced significant public and political pressure since it voted down a recent motion put forward by Labour that called on the government to provide free school meals for children during the holidays.
As Ipsos MORI has highlighted, the field work was carried out before publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism within Labour and the suspension of former party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
NEW @IpsosMORI / @EveningStandard *Labour lead at 5* Labour 42% (+5)
Conservative 37% (-3)
Lib Dems 8% (nc)
Greens 5% (nc) 1,007 interviewed by telephone Oct 22-28 (changes from Sept) NOTE – fieldwork before EHRC report & fallout. More to follow. — Keiran Pedley (@keiranpedley) October 30, 2020
YouGov polling on Thursday indicated that 58% of the public thought that the party was right to suspend Corbyn, compared to 13% who thought it was wrong. 29% of respondents opted for ‘don’t know’.
A higher proportion thought the disciplinary action was wrong among Labour voters. Of those who backed the party in 2019, one in four (26%) stated it was wrong to suspend the former Labour leader compared to 41% who thought it was right.
The EHRC concluded on Thursday that Labour is responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act – relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints; failure to provide adequate training to those handling them; and harassment.
Corbyn issued a statement in response to the EHRC report, which claimed the “the scale of the [antisemitism] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party”.
A Labour spokesperson subsequently announced that Corbyn had been suspended, and the Parliamentary Labour Party whip removed from the Labour MP, “in light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them”.
Several MPs and groups within the Labour Party, as well as trade union Unite leader Len McCluskey have argued that the suspension is wrong, and called on the Labour leader to reverse the disciplinary action taken against Corbyn.
Keir Starmer has this morning defended the move from the party as “appropriate” but argued that he does not want a “civil war”. He said: “That’s the right action – difficult, very difficult action but the right action, which I fully support.”


labourlist--2020-10-30--The key takeaway from yesterday? It should be the EHRC report

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission report on Labour antisemitism was as damning as it could have been within the terms of reference set .
It was never going to demand specific disciplinary action , as that is not the responsibility of the EHRC ; it was never going to denounce Jeremy Corbyn directly as an individual , but instead it talked about a failure of leadership ; it had not been expected by Labour insiders to describe the party as institutionally racist , but to find new yet equally robust language , which the report did and more .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for unlawful acts must not be underestimated – this is the most serious outcome that could have possibly emerged from the investigation .
Thursday was a whirlwind of Labour news .
Following the report , we got reactions from across the party – including Corbyn himself .
He said antisemitism was “ absolutely abhorrent ” and anyone who claimed it did not exist in Labour was “ wrong ” , but couldn ’ t resist adding that he believed “ the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s speech on the report , in which he said members who believe antisemitism claims are “ exaggerated , or a factional attack ” are themselves “ part of the problem ” .
He was not drawn on questions concerning disciplinary action , yet within two hours the party announced just that .
I ’ m told Corbyn found out about his suspension from the party when a photographer showed him my tweet .
There is now party infighting ( stop me if you ’ ve heard this one before ) over who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EHRC report ’ s warnings about political interference by the leader ’ s office ; and over which rule exactly has been breached , something that general secretary David Evans refused to clarify at last night ’ s national executive committee meeting and the party has still not disclosed .
“ There is no need for a civil war on this , ” Starmer has insisted this morning .
But this looks set to take place unless there is a deescalation .
NEC members are talking about lifting the suspension in two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit doesn ’ t get there first .
Crucially , Jewish Labour Movement chair Mike Katz says in a piece for LabourList on yesterday ’ s events : “ that is a sideshow ” .
In the wake of the damning EHRC report , Labour should be talking about how the party has just been found responsible for unlawful acts and planning for how the EHRC recommendations will be implemented as soon as possible .
With that in mind , it is worth reading the report itself and taking a look at these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must happen .
Sign up to LabourList ’ s morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission report on Labour antisemitism was as damning as it could have been within the terms of reference set. It was never going to demand specific disciplinary action, as that is not the responsibility of the EHRC; it was never going to denounce Jeremy Corbyn directly as an individual, but instead it talked about a failure of leadership; it had not been expected by Labour insiders to describe the party as institutionally racist, but to find new yet equally robust language, which the report did and more. The significance of Labour being found responsible for unlawful acts must not be underestimated – this is the most serious outcome that could have possibly emerged from the investigation.
Thursday was a whirlwind of Labour news. Following the report, we got reactions from across the party – including Corbyn himself. He said antisemitism was “absolutely abhorrent” and anyone who claimed it did not exist in Labour was “wrong”, but couldn’t resist adding that he believed “the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons”. This clashed with Keir Starmer’s speech on the report, in which he said members who believe antisemitism claims are “exaggerated, or a factional attack” are themselves “part of the problem”. He was not drawn on questions concerning disciplinary action, yet within two hours the party announced just that. I’m told Corbyn found out about his suspension from the party when a photographer showed him my tweet.
There is now party infighting (stop me if you’ve heard this one before) over who took the decision, in light of the EHRC report’s warnings about political interference by the leader’s office; and over which rule exactly has been breached, something that general secretary David Evans refused to clarify at last night’s national executive committee meeting and the party has still not disclosed. “There is no need for a civil war on this,” Starmer has insisted this morning. But this looks set to take place unless there is a deescalation. NEC members are talking about lifting the suspension in two weeks, if the governance and legal unit doesn’t get there first.
Crucially, Jewish Labour Movement chair Mike Katz says in a piece for LabourList on yesterday’s events: “that is a sideshow”. In the wake of the damning EHRC report, Labour should be talking about how the party has just been found responsible for unlawful acts and planning for how the EHRC recommendations will be implemented as soon as possible. With that in mind, it is worth reading the report itself and taking a look at these 18 key ways in which urgent change must happen. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-10-30--“I don’t want a civil war,” Starmer says in wake of Corbyn suspension

Keir Starmer has defended the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn over his response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism as “ appropriate action ” but argued that he does not want a “ civil war ” .
Discussing the disciplinary action against the former Labour leader on BBC Radio 4 ’ s Today programme this morning , Starmer told listeners : “ I want to unite the party , but I ’ m not going to renege on my commitment to root out antisemitism.
” The Labour leader said he spoke to Corbyn the night before out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 128-page document and said “ Corbyn and his team knew exactly what I was going to say in my response ” .
The EHRC concluded on Thursday that Labour is responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act – relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints ; failure to provide adequate training to those handling them ; and harassment .
Commenting on the outcome of the investigation , Starmer said : “ We all have to take responsibility .
It was a finding of collective failure .
That ’ s why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the findings in the report in full… “ I had hoped that whilst it would be a painful day , we could draw a line in the sand , and move forward on my commitment to root out antisemitism by making clear how quickly we would act on the recommendations.
” Asked why he continued to serve in Corbyn ’ s shadow cabinet , Starmer said : “ There were concerns when I was in the shadow cabinet and when when we were in that period – that ’ s why I raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And I felt it was important to have voices in the shadow cabinet and there were a number of people in the shadow cabinet raising serious concerns and voices outside the shadow cabinet.
” Asked why disciplinary action was taken by the party against the former Labour leader on Thursday afternoon , Starmer told listeners that it had come as a reaction to “ his response to the report yesterday ” .
He added : “ In my response I made it clear that the Labour Party I lead will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the argument that denies or minimises antisemitism on the basis that it ’ s been exaggerated… “ I ’ m deeply disappointed in that response from Jeremy Corbyn yesterday , not least because I spoke to him the night before the report to set out how I intended to deal with it .
“ And from discussions yesterday morning , I ’ m in no doubt that Jeremy Corbyn and his team knew exactly what I was going to say in my response about not only antisemitism but the denial and the arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the report , which claimed the “ the scale of the [ antisemitism ] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party ” .
A Labour spokesperson subsequently announced that Corbyn had been suspended , and the Parliamentary Labour Party whip removed from the Labour MP , “ in light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them ” .
Starmer said this morning : “ Appropriate action was taken yesterday by the general secretary in suspending Jeremy Corbyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – difficult , very difficult action but the right action , which I fully support .
“ What is important now , very important , is that I don ’ t take up your invitation to give my view on the merits of what was said .
One of the major findings yesterday was that the leader , deputy leader offices should not get involved in individual decisions .
“ That ’ s part of what went wrong so I ’ m not going to make that mistake .
It doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it .
I had wanted yesterday to be an opportunity to draw a line in the sand and restore trust .
That didn ’ t happen because of Jeremy Corbyn ’ s response.
” The Labour leader explained that “ there is a process that will now go through the governance and legal unit ” and said there are a “ number of possible sanctions ” .
Asked whether Corbyn could be expelled , Starmer said : “ Yes , people have been expelled from the Labour Party… But it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be followed – that ’ s for the general secretary – or what sanction is in order .
“ I don ’ t want a civil war in the Labour Party .
I don ’ t think there ’ s any need for one .
I want to unite the party , but I ’ m not going to renege on my commitment to root out antisemitism.
” Momentum co-founder and former director of communications for Corbyn James Schneider argued : “ There was no denial whatsoever .
He said in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Labour Party are wrong.
” Schneider said the point that the former leader had made in his response to the EHRC report was that the “ perception of the issue is grossly overstated in the general public ’ s imagination because of the media coverage ” .
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said on Thursday that the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn was a move that “ will create chaos within the party ” and urged the new Labour leader to find a “ unifying way forward ” .
Starmer told a Sky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the union leader .
He added it is the “ responsibility of all of us to work forward in a way that unites our party ” and said “ Len McCluskey and I do not want a split in the Labour Party ” .
A number of recommendations have been made by the EHRC for Labour in its report around living up to the zero-tolerance commitment on antisemitism , rebuilding trust , education and training and on monitoring and evaluating improvements .
Labour has been served with an unlawful act notice following the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to produce an action plan in response to the findings and recommendations of the report published today .
Starmer has pledged to implement an independent complaints process “ as quickly as possible ” and he hopes that this will be “ early next year ” .
Rule changes would normally require conference approval .
The party has until December 10th to deliver an action plan to the EHRC on how it will implement the recommendations and when .
This is legally enforceable by the court if not fulfilled .

Keir Starmer has defended the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn over his response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism as “appropriate action” but argued that he does not want a “civil war”.
Discussing the disciplinary action against the former Labour leader on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Starmer told listeners: “I want to unite the party, but I’m not going to renege on my commitment to root out antisemitism.”
The Labour leader said he spoke to Corbyn the night before out how he would deal with the publication of the 128-page document and said “Corbyn and his team knew exactly what I was going to say in my response”.
The EHRC concluded on Thursday that Labour is responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act – relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints; failure to provide adequate training to those handling them; and harassment.
Commenting on the outcome of the investigation, Starmer said: “We all have to take responsibility. It was a finding of collective failure. That’s why I took the opportunity yesterday to accept the findings in the report in full…
“I had hoped that whilst it would be a painful day, we could draw a line in the sand, and move forward on my commitment to root out antisemitism by making clear how quickly we would act on the recommendations.”
Asked why he continued to serve in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, Starmer said: “There were concerns when I was in the shadow cabinet and when when we were in that period – that’s why I raised those concerns, as did other people.
“And I felt it was important to have voices in the shadow cabinet and there were a number of people in the shadow cabinet raising serious concerns and voices outside the shadow cabinet.”
Asked why disciplinary action was taken by the party against the former Labour leader on Thursday afternoon, Starmer told listeners that it had come as a reaction to “his response to the report yesterday”.
He added: “In my response I made it clear that the Labour Party I lead will not tolerate antisemitism. Neither will it tolerate the argument that denies or minimises antisemitism on the basis that it’s been exaggerated…
“I’m deeply disappointed in that response from Jeremy Corbyn yesterday, not least because I spoke to him the night before the report to set out how I intended to deal with it.
“And from discussions yesterday morning, I’m in no doubt that Jeremy Corbyn and his team knew exactly what I was going to say in my response about not only antisemitism but the denial and the arguments about exaggeration.”
Corbyn issued a statement in response to the report, which claimed the “the scale of the [antisemitism] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party”.
A Labour spokesperson subsequently announced that Corbyn had been suspended, and the Parliamentary Labour Party whip removed from the Labour MP, “in light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them”.
Starmer said this morning: “Appropriate action was taken yesterday by the general secretary in suspending Jeremy Corbyn. That’s the right action – difficult, very difficult action but the right action, which I fully support.
“What is important now, very important, is that I don’t take up your invitation to give my view on the merits of what was said. One of the major findings yesterday was that the leader, deputy leader offices should not get involved in individual decisions.
“That’s part of what went wrong so I’m not going to make that mistake. It doesn’t mean I don’t feel strongly about it. I had wanted yesterday to be an opportunity to draw a line in the sand and restore trust. That didn’t happen because of Jeremy Corbyn’s response.”
The Labour leader explained that “there is a process that will now go through the governance and legal unit” and said there are a “number of possible sanctions”.
Asked whether Corbyn could be expelled, Starmer said: “Yes, people have been expelled from the Labour Party… But it’s not for me to say what process should be followed – that’s for the general secretary – or what sanction is in order.
“I don’t want a civil war in the Labour Party. I don’t think there’s any need for one. I want to unite the party, but I’m not going to renege on my commitment to root out antisemitism.”
Momentum co-founder and former director of communications for Corbyn James Schneider argued: “There was no denial whatsoever. He said in his statement that those who deny antisemitism in the Labour Party are wrong.”
Schneider said the point that the former leader had made in his response to the EHRC report was that the “perception of the issue is grossly overstated in the general public’s imagination because of the media coverage”.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said on Thursday that the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn was a move that “will create chaos within the party” and urged the new Labour leader to find a “unifying way forward”.
Starmer told a Sky News interview that he had spoken to the union leader. He added it is the “responsibility of all of us to work forward in a way that unites our party” and said “Len McCluskey and I do not want a split in the Labour Party”.
Labour leader @Keir_Starmer says both him and union boss Len McCluskey “do not want a split” in the Labour Party and that there is “no need” for a “civil war” following the EHRC’s antisemitism report.#KayBurley
Get live updates here: https://t.co/9iq20qro1y pic.twitter.com/WJiXW8Dkml — SkyNews (@SkyNews) October 30, 2020
A number of recommendations have been made by the EHRC for Labour in its report around living up to the zero-tolerance commitment on antisemitism, rebuilding trust, education and training and on monitoring and evaluating improvements.
Labour has been served with an unlawful act notice following the investigation. The party has six weeks to produce an action plan in response to the findings and recommendations of the report published today.
Starmer has pledged to implement an independent complaints process “as quickly as possible” and he hopes that this will be “early next year”. Rule changes would normally require conference approval.
The party has until December 10th to deliver an action plan to the EHRC on how it will implement the recommendations and when. This is legally enforceable by the court if not fulfilled.


labourlist--2020-10-30--The Jewish Labour Movement is ready to help Labour clear up this mess

Yesterday was a watershed moment for the Labour Party .
The Equalities and Human Rights Commission published the results of its two-year investigation into the Labour Party .
Its forensic and damning report found that the party had broken the law .
This is a complete vindication for the Jewish Labour Movement , our members and the Jewish community .
In an unprecedented move , the EHRC issued an unlawful acts notice on three counts : harassment of its members ; political interference by the party ’ s leadership in relation to antisemitism complaints ; and its failure to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put this in context , the EHRC didn ’ t issue such a notice when it investigated the Met Police for racism .
This underlines the real pain and anguish Jewish Labour members experienced over the last five years .
Not just the high profile MPs , like Louise Ellman , Luciana Berger , Margaret Hodge and Ruth Smeeth , shameful though the harassment directed against them was .
Too many ordinary Jewish members , who had spent decades campaigning for Labour , were forced to withdraw from party meetings , down tools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party in which they had grown up .
We spent the last five years facing a strange double jeopardy : suffering racism and then being told online or in local party meetings that this was fabricated and that we were “ weaponising ” this abuse for factional advantage or to stifle debate .
We were dismissed as “ red Tories ” – why else would we make this up – Kafkaesque logic that further marginalised and dismissed our experiences .
Yesterday ’ s report is clear : this was wrong .
And Keir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anti-Jewish racism is part and parcel of that same discrimination .
The EHRC demonstrated the scale and seriousness of the problem .
If you don ’ t accept this report , or the Commission ’ s legitimacy , you ’ ve got no place in the party .
JLM didn ’ t refer the party to the EHRC on a whim .
It was only after years of having our good faith engagement thrown back at us that we knew there was no chance Jeremy Corbyn ’ s leadership would truly listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand up for our members – and our real Labour values – by going to the equalities watchdog that Labour itself had created .
The EHRC is clear : Labour under Corbyn had numerous opportunities to improve processes and fix the problem , but refused to do so .
And it draws a line under the fiction that somehow it was all the fault of an old regime and that things were improving under Corbyn ’ s general secretary Jennie Formby .
Despite taking full control of the party ’ s machinery in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in disciplinary cases continued right up to last year .
In truth , the previous leadership ’ s only success on antisemitism was the rigour with which they interfered to protect their political allies , downplayed the issue and gaslighted those who spoke up against it .
And the Commission ’ s investigation of Labour ’ s cases shows how serious and grievous the attacks Jewish members faced was .
Of the cases they sampled , one in three went beyond mere racist abuse , and met the legal threshold for harassment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ political interference and a total absence of moral leadership all led us to this landmark judgement by the independent statutory regulator .
Of course , yesterday should never have been about yesterday ’ s man .
But Corbyn ’ s stubborn refusal to accept the factual independent findings of the EHRC , to take any responsibility for what happened under his watch and his insistence that the problem was exaggerated for political advantage , meant that the party had to take action .
No doubt there will be many political ramifications from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you want a dividing line , accepting the legitimacy of the EHRC and its findings is a fine place to plant our flag under this new leadership .
But ultimately , that is a sideshow .
There is now much to be done , starting with the party delivering an action plan by mid-December to the EHRC .
We need to institute an independent disciplinary system , stamp out casual bullying and intimidation , and roll out a proper education programme .
Given the clear political leadership Starmer has shown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken , JLM is willing and ready to re-engage with Labour to help clear up this mess and put this shameful period behind us .
We ’ re enormously grateful to our allies who have supported us on this long journey , and the brave whistleblowers who had the moral courage to come forward .
Most of all , I ’ m proud of the way we have stood up for Jewish Labour members , speaking truth to power in our fight against racism .
It ’ s what we ’ ve done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party .
We won ’ t change tack now , but it ’ s good to be back .

Yesterday was a watershed moment for the Labour Party. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission published the results of its two-year investigation into the Labour Party. Its forensic and damning report found that the party had broken the law. This is a complete vindication for the Jewish Labour Movement, our members and the Jewish community.
In an unprecedented move, the EHRC issued an unlawful acts notice on three counts: harassment of its members; political interference by the party’s leadership in relation to antisemitism complaints; and its failure to provide adequate training on anti-Jewish racism. To put this in context, the EHRC didn’t issue such a notice when it investigated the Met Police for racism.
This underlines the real pain and anguish Jewish Labour members experienced over the last five years. Not just the high profile MPs, like Louise Ellman, Luciana Berger, Margaret Hodge and Ruth Smeeth, shameful though the harassment directed against them was. Too many ordinary Jewish members, who had spent decades campaigning for Labour, were forced to withdraw from party meetings, down tools at election time or even leave the party in which they had grown up.
We spent the last five years facing a strange double jeopardy: suffering racism and then being told online or in local party meetings that this was fabricated and that we were “weaponising” this abuse for factional advantage or to stifle debate. We were dismissed as “red Tories” – why else would we make this up – Kafkaesque logic that further marginalised and dismissed our experiences.
Yesterday’s report is clear: this was wrong. And Keir Starmer made it equally clear: denial of anti-Jewish racism is part and parcel of that same discrimination. The EHRC demonstrated the scale and seriousness of the problem. If you don’t accept this report, or the Commission’s legitimacy, you’ve got no place in the party.
JLM didn’t refer the party to the EHRC on a whim. It was only after years of having our good faith engagement thrown back at us that we knew there was no chance Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership would truly listen or decisively act. We had to stand up for our members – and our real Labour values – by going to the equalities watchdog that Labour itself had created.
The EHRC is clear: Labour under Corbyn had numerous opportunities to improve processes and fix the problem, but refused to do so. And it draws a line under the fiction that somehow it was all the fault of an old regime and that things were improving under Corbyn’s general secretary Jennie Formby. Despite taking full control of the party’s machinery in 2018, the EHRC said political interference in disciplinary cases continued right up to last year.
In truth, the previous leadership’s only success on antisemitism was the rigour with which they interfered to protect their political allies, downplayed the issue and gaslighted those who spoke up against it. And the Commission’s investigation of Labour’s cases shows how serious and grievous the attacks Jewish members faced was. Of the cases they sampled, one in three went beyond mere racist abuse, and met the legal threshold for harassment.
A dysfunctional system, overlaid with direct political interference and a total absence of moral leadership all led us to this landmark judgement by the independent statutory regulator. Of course, yesterday should never have been about yesterday’s man. But Corbyn’s stubborn refusal to accept the factual independent findings of the EHRC, to take any responsibility for what happened under his watch and his insistence that the problem was exaggerated for political advantage, meant that the party had to take action.
No doubt there will be many political ramifications from the brave and correct decision to suspend him. If you want a dividing line, accepting the legitimacy of the EHRC and its findings is a fine place to plant our flag under this new leadership.
But ultimately, that is a sideshow. There is now much to be done, starting with the party delivering an action plan by mid-December to the EHRC. We need to institute an independent disciplinary system, stamp out casual bullying and intimidation, and roll out a proper education programme.
Given the clear political leadership Starmer has shown, and the decisive action that Labour has taken, JLM is willing and ready to re-engage with Labour to help clear up this mess and put this shameful period behind us.
We’re enormously grateful to our allies who have supported us on this long journey, and the brave whistleblowers who had the moral courage to come forward. Most of all, I’m proud of the way we have stood up for Jewish Labour members, speaking truth to power in our fight against racism. It’s what we’ve done over our hundred years of affiliation to the party. We won’t change tack now, but it’s good to be back.


labourlist--2020-10-31--Dodds: Self-employed homeowners face “perfect storm” amid Covid support cuts

Anneliese Dodds has warned that self-employed homeowners in the UK face a “ bleak winter ” after new Labour analysis found some will be left to live on just 30 % of their pre-coronavirus income over the coming months .
The Shadow Chancellor has highlighted that cuts to the self-employment income support scheme ( SEISS ) announced by Rishi Sunak combined with the end of the mortgage holiday will cause a “ perfect storm ” for self-employed homeowners .
According to analysis carried out by Labour , a self-employed single homeowner living on the national minimum wage before the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £854 after mortgage and council tax costs were factored in .
But with the cuts to the SEISS , the same homeowner will now be left with just £654 a month – and with the withdrawal of the mortgage holiday , they could be left with £254 , or just 30 % of their pre-crisis monthly income .
Labour ’ s analysis of the reduced income was based on the average council tax costs and mortgage payments of a self-employed person who earns the minimum wage and lives in an average one-bedroom property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Labour ’ s lead economic spokesperson Dodds said : “ Self-employed homeowners are facing a perfect storm because the government has decided to abandon them just as we head into the winter .
“ There ’ s still time for the government to stop a bleak winter for Britain ’ s self-employed workers .
It must remove the mortgage cliff edge , fix the gaps in its income support schemes and help people defer the cost of interest payments.
” The new Labour findings come as a report from the Joseph Rowntree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British mortgage-holders , or around 1.6 million households , are worried about paying their mortgage over the next three months .
The report also found that roughly 2.6 million households with mortgages reported that their income has gone down since March , with the majority of them having to reduce spending , including on food and bills .
The SEISS was launched by the government in late March .
It allowed some self-employed people during Covid to claim a taxable grant worth 80 % of their average monthly trading profits , capped at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced last week that the SEISS will now provide just 40 % of a self-employed worker ’ s average monthly trading profits if they are badly affected or unable to work , up from his original proposal of 20 % .
Many self-employed people are excluded from the scheme altogether and left without any income support from the government , including the newly self-employed and those who usually made over £50,000 in profit each year .
Labour has warned of “ leaving self-employed people in the lurch ” after research found that half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sectors hit hard by coronavirus restrictions , including hospitality , the arts and sports .
The Resolution Foundation think tank found this month that of those who were self-employed before the crisis , 17 % – roughly 760,000 of the UK ’ s 4.49 million self-employed workers – were not working at all in September .
On top of the cuts to income support , many self-employed people who are homeowners now face rising costs as the emergency Covid mortgage holiday is set to be withdrawn by the government at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday scheme , introduced at the outset of the crisis , close on October 31st .
As more areas face restrictions , those with affected incomes will no longer be able to apply for support to make mortgage payments .
The end of October also marks the end of a ban on the repossession of homes that has protected many mortgage holders during the crisis .
It was introduced in June to ensure people had a home in which to self-isolate during the pandemic .
Labour is calling for the government to extend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as reduce the waiting period for people to access the longstanding Support for Mortgage Interest ( SMI ) scheme .
The SMI programme , first introduced in 1988 , provides loans for those on particular means-tested benefits – such as income support or pension credit – to help them pay towards the cost of the interest on their mortgage .
An applicant currently must have been receiving support for nine months to access the scheme .
But Dodds is calling on the government to reduce the threshold from nine months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the financial crash .
The planned changes to the SEISS were announced by Rishi Sunak as part of his third economic update in a month , alongside new and revised measures to boost support for businesses badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic .
The Shadow Chancellor criticised Rishi Sunak at the time for “ always running to keep up ” during the crisis and asked her counterpart to explain why the new support was coming only months after many regions first faced tighter local restrictions .

Anneliese Dodds has warned that self-employed homeowners in the UK face a “bleak winter” after new Labour analysis found some will be left to live on just 30% of their pre-coronavirus income over the coming months.
The Shadow Chancellor has highlighted that cuts to the self-employment income support scheme (SEISS) announced by Rishi Sunak combined with the end of the mortgage holiday will cause a “perfect storm” for self-employed homeowners.
According to analysis carried out by Labour, a self-employed single homeowner living on the national minimum wage before the crisis would have had a monthly income of £854 after mortgage and council tax costs were factored in.
But with the cuts to the SEISS, the same homeowner will now be left with just £654 a month – and with the withdrawal of the mortgage holiday, they could be left with £254, or just 30% of their pre-crisis monthly income.
Labour’s analysis of the reduced income was based on the average council tax costs and mortgage payments of a self-employed person who earns the minimum wage and lives in an average one-bedroom property in Bolton.
Commenting on the figures, Labour’s lead economic spokesperson Dodds said: “Self-employed homeowners are facing a perfect storm because the government has decided to abandon them just as we head into the winter.
“There’s still time for the government to stop a bleak winter for Britain’s self-employed workers. It must remove the mortgage cliff edge, fix the gaps in its income support schemes and help people defer the cost of interest payments.”
The new Labour findings come as a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation indicated that 20% of all British mortgage-holders, or around 1.6 million households, are worried about paying their mortgage over the next three months.
The report also found that roughly 2.6 million households with mortgages reported that their income has gone down since March, with the majority of them having to reduce spending, including on food and bills.
The SEISS was launched by the government in late March. It allowed some self-employed people during Covid to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profits, capped at £7,500 over three months.
The Chancellor announced last week that the SEISS will now provide just 40% of a self-employed worker’s average monthly trading profits if they are badly affected or unable to work, up from his original proposal of 20%.
Many self-employed people are excluded from the scheme altogether and left without any income support from the government, including the newly self-employed and those who usually made over £50,000 in profit each year.
Labour has warned of “leaving self-employed people in the lurch” after research found that half a million self-employed employees were working in sectors hit hard by coronavirus restrictions, including hospitality, the arts and sports.
The Resolution Foundation think tank found this month that of those who were self-employed before the crisis, 17% – roughly 760,000 of the UK’s 4.49 million self-employed workers – were not working at all in September.
On top of the cuts to income support, many self-employed people who are homeowners now face rising costs as the emergency Covid mortgage holiday is set to be withdrawn by the government at the end of the month.
Applications for the mortgage holiday scheme, introduced at the outset of the crisis, close on October 31st. As more areas face restrictions, those with affected incomes will no longer be able to apply for support to make mortgage payments.
The end of October also marks the end of a ban on the repossession of homes that has protected many mortgage holders during the crisis. It was introduced in June to ensure people had a home in which to self-isolate during the pandemic.
Labour is calling for the government to extend the mortgage holiday and ban on repossessions, as well as reduce the waiting period for people to access the longstanding Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) scheme.
The SMI programme, first introduced in 1988, provides loans for those on particular means-tested benefits – such as income support or pension credit – to help them pay towards the cost of the interest on their mortgage.
An applicant currently must have been receiving support for nine months to access the scheme. But Dodds is calling on the government to reduce the threshold from nine months to three, as Labour did during the financial crash.
The planned changes to the SEISS were announced by Rishi Sunak as part of his third economic update in a month, alongside new and revised measures to boost support for businesses badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Shadow Chancellor criticised Rishi Sunak at the time for “always running to keep up” during the crisis and asked her counterpart to explain why the new support was coming only months after many regions first faced tighter local restrictions.


labourlist--2020-10-30--Scottish workers face “bleak Christmas” without furlough, warns Leonard

Richard Leonard has warned that the end of the government ’ s job retention scheme on Saturday will leave Scotland ’ s furloughed workers facing a “ bleak Christmas ” unless an adequate replacement for the programme is put in place .
The Scottish Labour leader said that the proposed furlough replacement , the job support scheme , is “ totally inadequate ” for Scottish workers and put at risk the jobs of the hundreds of thousands of employees still on furlough in the country .
Leonard has called on the Scottish government to commit to a ‘ jobs guarantee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , green jobs for workers across Scotland and help combat the risk of mass unemployment in the devolved nation .
The Scottish Labour leader has also reiterated his demand that Chancellor Rishi Sunak introduce a Scotland-specific furlough extension to protect squeezed incomes going into the Christmas period .
Commenting on the end of the furlough scheme and the demands from Scottish Labour today , Leonard said : “ Scotland ’ s furloughed workers face a harsh winter period and bleak Christmas after the end of furlough this weekend .
“ Household incomes will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chancellor ’ s disastrous decision to end the scheme .
Rishi Sunak ’ s half-baked replacement scheme is a totally inadequate package to make up for the substantial loss of furlough money .
“ Scotland ’ s industries from oil and gas , right through to tourism and the arts , have been battered during the last seven months .
There is no sign of any recovery and it ’ s therefore deeply worrying that despite the sharp rise in infections and tighter restrictions , the Chancellor is letting furlough end .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back at this critical time , which is why the Chancellor must agree to Scottish Labour ’ s call for a furlough scheme that is targeted specifically at Scotland ’ s economy and workforce .
“ Without it , the living standards of hard-pressed families and those on already squeezed incomes will only get worse as winter starts to bite and households face soaring fuel bills and the usual costs associated with Christmas.
” The Scottish Labour leader ’ s latest warning follows the release of Scotland ’ s benefit claimant statistics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ claiming Jobseeker ’ s Allowance and Universal Credit , a 101.2 % rise on the start of the year .
The furlough scheme was introduced by the government in March and offered to pay workers 80 % of their normal wages to help reduce costs for employers during there pandemic and save jobs .
It is set to end at the end of this month .
The Chancellor announced the job support scheme and job retention bonus after facing criticism from Labour , with the two programmes intended to encourage part-time working and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In their initial form , the two much less-generous schemes were predicted to save just 230,000 jobs and leave just under two million people in otherwise viable professions at risk of becoming unemployed .
Analysis from the Scottish government projected that unemployment could reach as high as 8.2 % in the country before the year ’ s end as it expected the Chancellor ’ s proposed job support scheme to fail to curb rising unemployment .
The Chancellor has since announced changes to the Tory plans and put forward a local furlough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has argued that the plan is still flawed with one party source saying it had “ more holes in it than Swiss cheese ” .
The new local furlough offers just 67 % of a worker ’ s wage , compared to the 80 % offered in the original programme .
Many have expressed fears about what that reduction in income will mean for employees on the minimum wage .
In response , Leonard has reiterated his call for the Chancellor to put forward a new Scotland-specific furlough to ensure the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its economic needs are properly accounted for .
The Scottish Labour leader first called for a Scotland-specific furlough scheme during an event at the party ’ s virtual conference this year .
He told the Labour ‘ Connected ’ event in September that the country needed the action “ to save jobs now ” .

Richard Leonard has warned that the end of the UK government job retention scheme on Saturday will leave Scotland’s furloughed workers facing a “bleak Christmas” unless an adequate replacement for the programme is put in place.
The Scottish Labour leader described the proposed furlough replacement, the job support scheme, as “totally inadequate” for Scottish workers and likely to put at risk the jobs of the hundreds of thousands of employees still furloughed in the country.
Leonard has called on the Scottish government to commit to a ‘jobs guarantee scheme’, which would provide well-paid, green jobs for workers across Scotland and help combat the risk of mass unemployment in the devolved nation.
The Scottish Labour leader has also reiterated his demand that Chancellor Rishi Sunak introduce a Scotland-specific furlough extension to protect squeezed incomes going into the Christmas period.
Commenting on the end of the furlough scheme and the demands from Scottish Labour today, Leonard said: “Scotland’s furloughed workers face a harsh winter period and bleak Christmas after the end of furlough this weekend.
“Household incomes will take a substantial hit due to the Chancellor’s disastrous decision to end the scheme. Rishi Sunak’s half-baked replacement scheme is a totally inadequate package to make up for the substantial loss of furlough money.
“Scotland’s industries from oil and gas, right through to tourism and the arts, have been battered during the last seven months. There is no sign of any recovery and it’s therefore deeply worrying that despite the sharp rise in infections and tighter restrictions, the Chancellor is letting furlough end.
“Workers should not have their incomes cut back at this critical time, which is why the Chancellor must agree to Scottish Labour’s call for a furlough scheme that is targeted specifically at Scotland’s economy and workforce.
“Without it, the living standards of hard-pressed families and those on already squeezed incomes will only get worse as winter starts to bite and households face soaring fuel bills and the usual costs associated with Christmas.”
The Scottish Labour leader’s latest warning follows the release of Scotland’s benefit claimant statistics. In September, there were 224,200 people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit, a 101.2% rise on the start of the year.
The furlough scheme was introduced by the government in March and offered to pay workers 80% of their normal wages to help reduce costs for employers during the pandemic and save jobs. It will be cut off on Saturday, as October ends.
The Chancellor announced the job support scheme and job retention bonus after facing criticism from Labour, with the two programmes intended to encourage part-time working and serve as a replacement for the furlough.
In their initial form, the two much less-generous schemes were predicted to save just 230,000 jobs and leave just under two million people in otherwise viable professions at risk of becoming unemployed.
Analysis from the Scottish government projected that unemployment could reach as high as 8.2% in the country before the year’s end, as it expected the Chancellor’s proposed job support scheme to fail to curb rising unemployment.
The Chancellor has since announced changes to the Tory plans and put forward a local furlough for areas under restrictions, but Labour has argued that the plan is still flawed with one party source saying it had “more holes in it than Swiss cheese”.
The new local furlough offers just 67% of a worker’s wage, compared to the 80% offered in the original programme. Many have expressed fears about what that reduction in income will mean for employees on the minimum wage.
In response, Leonard has reiterated his call for the Chancellor to put forward a new Scotland-specific furlough to ensure the country’s workers do not miss out and its economic needs are properly accounted for.
The Scottish Labour leader first called for a Scotland-specific furlough scheme during an event at the UK party’s virtual conference this year. He told a Labour ‘Connected’ event in September that the move was needed “to save jobs now”.