LAAS Statement on Labour’s Proposed Antisemitism Code of Conduct

The proposed Labour Party code of conduct for tackling antisemitism appears to be a racists charter that will actively hinder the campaign to remove antisemitism from the Labour Party.

The recommendations omit significant aspects of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism (that the NEC had already adopted in full in December 2016) and misrepresent other aspects, leaving a toothless document that will only encourage Jew-hate in the Labour Party to flourish further, unchallenged and unpunished. 

Under the terms of the Labour Party’s code (and in contradiction with the principles established by the Macpherson Report) Jews are not allowed to define racism against them, and instead this is left to the perpetrator to say if s/he has antisemitic intent. It appears that this is the only ethnic group denied this right by Labour. 

Those within the Labour movement who have campaigned against discrimination in any guise need to understand that they are standing on a precipice of historical judgement. They need to understand that they cannot be complicit in endorsing this document, which is an insult to the Jewish community, to Jewish Labour members and to the traditions of the Labour Party.

Labour Against Antisemitism demands that Jennie Formby halts the implementation of this document immediately and readopts the IHRA definition that has been accepted by 31 countries (including the UK) and countless organisations throughout the world. Furthermore, we will be looking at legal ways to hold the Labour Party accountable should this become policy.

The Labour Party already has very little credibility left as the anti-racist body it has always claimed to be. The formal adoption of this document would see any remaining credibility lost, perhaps permanently. We urge the Labour leadership to think again.