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Labour anti-Semitism: Corbyn announces plan to speed up expulsions Labour anti-Semitism: Corbyn announces plan to speed up expulsions
(32 minutes later)
Jeremy Corbyn has proposed changes to Labour's complaints system to speed up the expulsion of members over anti-Semitism.Jeremy Corbyn has proposed changes to Labour's complaints system to speed up the expulsion of members over anti-Semitism.
He told the shadow cabinet he wanted to "confront this poison and drive it out", but some complaints were taking too long to process. He told his frontbench team he wanted to "confront this poison", but the process sometimes took too long.
Labour said eight members had been expelled in the first six months of 2019 over allegations of anti-Semitism. A statement from shadow cabinet said they supported the proposals, but still backed "independent oversight" as well.
Labour said eight party members were expelled in the first six months of 2019 over anti-Semitism allegations.
Some 625 complaints were also received in that same period.Some 625 complaints were also received in that same period.
Meanwhile, Labour peers have decided against voting on a no-confidence motion in Mr Corbyn over the issue.Meanwhile, Labour peers have decided against voting on a no-confidence motion in Mr Corbyn over the issue.
The developments come as the party launched "education materials" to help members confront anti-Semitism. Two options
Mr Corbyn - who will address his MPs at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party later on Monday - said earlier that while only a "small number" of members held anti-Semitic views, a larger number did not recognise stereotypes and conspiracy theories. The developments come as the party launched "education materials" - including a leaflet and webpage- to help members confront anti-Semitism.
In a letter to members, the Labour leader said the new education materials - which include a leaflet and website page - would be the first in a series on "a number of specific forms of racism and bigotry". Mr Corbyn - who is addressing MPs at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party - said earlier that while only a "small number" of members held anti-Semitic views, a larger number did not recognise stereotypes and conspiracy theories.
Mr Corbyn said the scale of the problem within Labour had been exaggerated by "some of the media", but the party was "not immune" from the problem of anti-Jewish hatred. The current process for dealing with anti-Semitism allegations sees a disciplinary panel meet to examine claims. If they think there is a case against a member, they refer it to Labour's National Constitutional Committee, which then has the power to suspend or expel individuals.
"The worst cases of anti-Semitism in our party have included Holocaust denial, crude Jewish-banker stereotypes, conspiracy theories blaming Israel for 9/11 or every war on the Rothschild family", he said. Critics, including deputy leader Tom Watson, have said the process takes too long and there should be an option to automatically expel people.
"So please engage with the materials we are producing [...] so our movement can be the strongest anti-racist force in our country." A number of members have also called for the process to be made independent from the party.
But Lord Desai - a member of the party for 48 years - said it was "too late now [for] the leadership to start pontificating about what a terrible thing anti-Semitism is".
He told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme he had "no confidence in the leadership", and was "very unhappy with the way the Labour Party is going".
His colleague on the Labour benches, Lord Adonis, also criticised the statement from Mr Corbyn, telling the programme: "[It is] is quite unsatisfactory because what he says is those people who have been criticising the handling of anti-Semitism have been exaggerating.
"What our policy should be as a party is zero tolerance of anti-Semitism. This is back to the 1930s. This is the stuff that led to the undermining of European civilised values. There is no place for it at all."
He added: "It has not been exaggerated."
Will more contrition win over Corbyn's critics?
Some of Mr Corbyn's critics had hoped today might prove a watershed moment. A day when Mr Corbyn - under pressure - might finally accept the need for much more decisive action to restore relations with the Jewish community.
Most, however, are now profoundly pessimistic about the prospect of serious change.
Much of their anger is focussed at the bulk of the shadow cabinet who have refused to speak out. But there is also anger that many MPs - fearful of a backlash from Mr Corbyn's supporters in their constituency parties and the threat of de-selection - have also remained silent.
Instead, what they now expect is Mr Corbyn to express more contrition and offer more advice to members on how to address anti-Semitism. There may also be some tweaks to party rules to give the NEC a bigger role in expulsions, and to speed them up.
But these moves are dismissed by Mr Corbyn's opponents as "more process".
The Labour leader may just be glad to get to the recess in the hope the acrimony and ill feeling over anti-Semitism begins to subside.
Somehow, that seems unlikely.
Nine MPs and three peers have left Labour over its handling of anti-Semitism allegations among members.
Three MPs - John Mann, Ruth Smeeth and Wes Streeting - have written to the shadow cabinet arguing that some members "continue to labour under the delusion that complaints about our handling of anti-Semitism cases... are motivated by those with an axe to grind".
They say "too many members of the shadow cabinet have been silent bystanders to, or - worse still - actively complicit in" that narrative.
The MPs also accuse those around the leader of having "a bunker mentality" - echoing comments made by Baroness Hayter last week.
Baroness Hayter was fired from her role as shadow Brexit minister when she compared the leadership' team's refusal to acknowledge criticism to "the last days of Hitler".
Following her sacking, fellow Labour members of the House of Lords decided against voting on a no-confidence motion in Mr Corbyn, but gave their full backing to Baroness Hayter.
BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley says critics of the Labour leader may push for a no-confidence vote in September "if the situation deteriorates".
'Improvements made'
Earlier this month, the BBC's Panorama revealed claims from a number of former party officials that some of Mr Corbyn's closest allies tried to interfere in disciplinary processes involving allegations of anti-Semitism.Earlier this month, the BBC's Panorama revealed claims from a number of former party officials that some of Mr Corbyn's closest allies tried to interfere in disciplinary processes involving allegations of anti-Semitism.
As well as calls for an investigation into the claims made in the BBC programme, the Labour leadership is also under pressure to adopt an external complaints process, and automatically exclude members where there is "irrefutable evidence" of racism.
Ahead of the shadow cabinet meeting on Monday, the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) wrote to members urging them to show "real leadership" on the issue.
"JLM, our supporters and the wider Jewish community despair at the lack of resolve, the repetition of worn words with no effort or intention to act."
Labour has rejected claims of interference in its disciplinary processes and described the Panorama programme as "seriously inaccurate" and "politically one-sided".Labour has rejected claims of interference in its disciplinary processes and described the Panorama programme as "seriously inaccurate" and "politically one-sided".
In a statement, it said: "Since Jennie Formby became general secretary the rate at which anti-Semitism cases have been dealt with has increased more than four-fold. 'Independent oversight'
"We will build on the improvements to our procedures made under Jennie Formby, and continue to act against this repugnant form of racism." The options Mr Corbyn presented to shadow cabinet were:
He told shadow cabinet he favoured the second option and it would allow for more rapid expulsion in the most serious of cases.
The shadow cabinet released a statement after the meeting, saying they backed his plan, but the issue of independence had not gone away - although there was a lack of clarification on what this would entail.
"As part of tackling anti-Semitism, the shadow cabinet has today supported the proposal for summary exclusion outlined by the Labour leader, which he will put to the National Executive Committee," they said.
"The shadow cabinet also supports the proposal to introduce independent oversight of our processes, and will continue to seek to engage with Jewish community organisations to build confidence."
The latest figures on anti-Semitism complaints
Between January and June 2019, Labour received 625 complaints about members relating to anti-Semitism, and a further 658 complaints about people who weren't in the party.
After six NEC meetings in the same period, the committee referred 97 members to the NCC over their cases, handed out 41 official warnings and a further 49 "reminders of conduct".
And over those six months, the NCC expelled eight people, gave out three extended suspensions, and issued four warnings.
Another 12 members left the party after being referred to the NCC, and one member's case was unproven.
A Labour spokesman said publishing the figures showed the party's "commitment to transparency in its efforts to root out bigotry and racism".
He added: "These figures provide a complete and accurate picture and demonstrate that we are taking decisive and robust action against anti-Semitism."
Earlier, Mr Corbyn wrote to members about the new education materials regarding anti-Semitism and said it would be the first in a series on "a number of specific forms of racism and bigotry".
He said the scale of the problem within Labour had been exaggerated by "some of the media", but the party was "not immune" from the problem of anti-Jewish hatred.
Lord Desai - a member of the party for 48 years - said it was "too late now [for] the leadership to start pontificating about what a terrible thing anti-Semitism is".
He told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme he had "no confidence in the leadership", and was "very unhappy with the way the Labour Party is going".
However, Labour peers as a whole decided on Monday not to pursue a no-confidence vote in Mr Corbyn - although they said the option "lies on the table".
In a statement, the peers said: "We continue to be dismayed and ashamed by the handling of the anti-Semitism crisis by our party leadership as there is no question that the number of cases has soared over the last four years.
"We will as a group continue to speak out against anti-Semitism and stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish colleagues and brave former staff members and with all those fighting injustice."
The peers have also given their full backing to Baroness Hayter, who was fired from her role as shadow Brexit minister after she compared the leadership' team's refusal to acknowledge criticism to "the last days of Hitler".