Jeremy Corbyn addresses members and supporters on antisemitism in video message

In a video emailed to all Party members and released on social media today, Jeremy Corbyn speaks about the problem of antisemitism that Labour is working to overcome – and the need to support and guarantee security for Jewish communities.

Jeremy Corbyn directly addresses members and supporters, saying “people who use antisemitic poison need to understand: You do not do it in my name, or the name of my party. You are not our supporters.”

Corbyn also says that anyone who denies that antisemitism has surfaced within our Party is wrong and is contributing to the problem.

In the video, Jeremy Corbyn apologises for the hurt that has been caused to many Jewish people by antisemitism in the Labour Party.

Corbyn expresses his determination to speed up disciplinary cases to drive antisemitism out of the Party, to work with the Jewish community to rebuild trust and ensure Jewish people feel at home in the Labour Party.

The video is part of Labour’s efforts to foster deeper understanding of antisemitism among members. The Party’s National Executive Committee recently agreed a political education programme on antisemitism which is due to launch next month.

Notes to editors: 

The video can be viewed on Jeremy's YouTube channel, Facebook and Twitter pages and on Labour's website. 

The National Executive Committee recently introduced a wide-range of reforms to speed up and strengthen disciplinary processes that deal with antisemitism. This includes smaller panels for reviewing cases, which meet more frequently, to allow antisemitism cases to be fast-tracked, the anonymisation of cases that come before the panels and set timeframes for dealing with complaints. 

The comprehensive political education programme to foster deeper understanding of antisemitism will include education sessions for members at conferences, for CLP officers, and online educational materials, videos and webinars. There will also be specialised education programmes on antisemitism for all staff and decision-makers involved in disciplinary processes, and thorough education and training on antisemitism as one of the range of outcomes in disciplinary processes.