Senior officials deliberately delayed action due to ideological differences, according to a leaked internal report into Labour’s handling of antisemitism.
The dossier, which assesses actions taken between 2014 and 2019, acknowledges shortcomings and missed opportunities to reform a clearly failing disciplinary system. The report claims that this systematic failing was exacerbated by a bitter divide between Corbyn’s left-wing and some senior staffers to the right of the party. Swathes of WhatsApp conversations and emails appear to show anti-Corbyn officials sabotaging complaints procedure and insulting more left-wing members.
Since publication, the 860 page report has been branded as an attempt to “discredit allegations” by Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism.
The report found: “Abundant evidence of a hyper-factional atmosphere prevailing in party HQ in this period, which appears to have affected the expeditious and resolute handling of disciplinary complaints.”
The Labour Party is currently under active investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission for accusations of antisemitism within the party and subsequent disciplinary measures.
The report suggests certain senior staff members delayed the antisemitism complaints procedure to reflect poorly on the leadership as well as launching a continued effort to undermine left-wing candidates.
It said: “At its extreme, some employees seem to have taken a view that the worse things got for Labour the happier they would be, since this might expedite Jeremy Corbyn’s departure from office.”
The leaked WhatsApp messages show senior staff coordinated refusing to share basic information to hamper election efforts and channeled resources to candidates they deemed fit, associated with the right wing of the party.
Measures were taken to keep Corbyn supporters in the dark, with one staff member writing: “We need to stop digital campaign budgets going to [name redacted] for approval, he can’t see what we are doing with digital spend.”
Senior staff commented that the huge rallies for Corbyn late in the 2017 election made them feel ill and they reacted to the polls narrowing with dismay rather than optimism.
The shameful WhatsApp conversations show the relentless character assassinations of numerous labour members and campaigners, including Sadiq Khan, Ed Miliband, Emily Thornberry and Diane Abbott.
On the day Diane Abbott was crying in a public restroom, supposedly, due to receiving racist abuse and death threats, senior officials mocked her and claimed to have told Channel 4 reporter, Michael Crick, where she was.
Another exchange shows a senior official criticising a woman on the left for having “the exact same clothes on yesterday” and branding her a “smelly cow” and “pube head.”
Violent themes are littered throughout such as references to “hanging and burning” Corbyn and repeatedly wishing death upon his supporters on the left.
Though most MPs have remained silent on the leak, former shadow health secretary Andy Burnham lamented on Twitter that the findings were consistent with his own experiences: “Seems right to me. Always felt like the Party machine opposed my pro-public NHS & social care policies between 2010 & 2015. Not sure I had even-handed treatment from them in either the 2010 or 2015 leadership elections.”
If found to be true, this approach – systematically attempting to remove those ideologically opposed to themselves – should be deeply concerning for all, regardless of party politics.
Keir Starmer has apologised to the Jewish community for the ongoing issue and announced an urgent investigation into the leaked report.
Words by Tara Fair