“Things are moving in the right direction, albeit with a long way still to go”: Statement following latest video meeting between Labour Leader Keir Starmer and representatives of the Jewish community

19^th June 2020

Today, Labour Leader Keir Starmer held a video meeting with representatives of the UK Jewish community from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Labour Movement.

After the meeting, Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“I am thankful to the Jewish community leaders who gave me their time and their views today.

“I am in no doubt that it will take time to rebuild trust between the Jewish community and the Labour Party. Some of the problems will not be fixed overnight.

“But I was pleased to update the meeting today on the work which has already taken place since we last met. We are beginning to wash clean the stain of antisemitism from our Party.

“At today’s meeting, I also emphasised that it is not enough for the Labour Party to have an effective system for dealing with antisemitism. I want to lead a Party without any antisemitism, full stop.

“I also reiterated Labour’s commitment to implementing, in full, the recommendations of the EHRC’s inquiry.”

Speaking on behalf of the Jewish delegation, Marie van der Zyl, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jonathan Goldstein, Chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, Gerald Ronson CBE, Chair of the Community Security Trust and Mike Katz, Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, said:

“We were grateful to Keir Starmer for making the time for today’s meeting.

“We began the meeting with a discussion of the current Coronavirus crisis and an expression of our solidarity with black people in the face of the reminders of their experience of racism on both sides of the Atlantic.

“We then moved on to consider the progress that had been made on tackling antisemitism since Sir Keir’s election as leader and our first meeting with him a few days after that.

“There was broad agreement that things are moving in the right direction, albeit with a long way still to go due to the scale of the mess that Sir Keir inherited. We urged Sir Keir to:

• Take a tough line with MPs, senior Labour figures and other members who still trade in the tropes and behaviours of the last few years;

• Continue to make strenuous efforts to detoxify the culture of the Party in relation to the Jewish community, including the accusation that antisemitism was falsely used by Jews to smear the former leadership;
• Publish the documents relevant to EHRC inquiry at the earliest opportunity that he is able after it is released; and

• Proceed with all due haste to the implementation of his pledge to implement an independent disciplinary process, beyond the reach of factional considerations.

“Overall, we give credit where credit is due and thank Sir Keir for the progress made so far, and hope to be able to reflect on further advances in the fight against antisemitism in the Labour Party at our next meeting in October.”

Notes for editors:

The Jewish community’s delegation comprised:

Marie van der Zyl, President, The Board of Deputies of British Jews

Gillian Merron, Chief Executive, The Board of Deputies of British Jews

Phil Rosenberg, Director of Public Affairs, The Board of Deputies of British Jews

Jonathan Goldstein, Chair, The Jewish Leadership Council

Claudia Mendoza, Joint Interim Chief Executive Officer, The Jewish Leadership Council

Gerald Ronson CBE, Chair, The Community Security Trust

Mark Gardner, Incoming Chief Executive, The Community Security Trust

Rebecca Filer, National Organiser, The Jewish Labour Movement

Mike Katz, Chair, The Jewish Labour Movement

Peter Mason, National Secretary, The Jewish Labour Movement

Lord Jonathan Kestenbaum

Sir Trevor Chinn CVO

ENDS