“As
members of the Tribune Group of MPs we are shocked at the
accounts in recent days from former members of about the handling of
antisemitism complaints and also how individual employees have
been treated.
"We support former employees in speaking out and commend their
bravery in doing so. The has always and always will
support whistle blowers in coming forward when they are concerned
about wrongdoing.
“We stand in solidarity
with the Jewish community and with Jewish members of the
in these very difficult
circumstances. It is totally unacceptable that Jewish members no
longer feel welcome or safe in the .
“The Labour' Party's
historic values of fighting racism in all its forms is central to
our political values- and that means challenging the scourge of
antisemitism wherever and whenever it arises. It is the
fact that these values are not adequately being put into action
through the party’s internal structures that has led to the
being investigated by the
Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Urgent action is
needed by the NEC to reflect these values and implement them both
as an employer and in the internal structures of the
party.
“In order to
demonstrate that those values are put into practice, the Labour
Party's complaints process must be both effective and totally
transparent and must not be compromised in relation to dealing
fairly with complaints about antisemitism.
“We believe that the
concerns these members of staff have made cannot be ignored.
Given the seriousness of the concerns that have been raised, an
internal inquiry would not be adequate or trusted and so we call
on the NEC to set up an independent investigation into the
allegations of interference into party procedures.
“As an employer the
has a duty of care towards
all its members of staff and to treat all employees with dignity
and respect. There must be zero tolerance of bullying and
harassment in the workplace. We are very concerned about the
number of members of staff who reported anxiety, depression and
mental health issues whilst working at the , and we do not accept that
the thrust of these latest disclosures by hardworking staff
members was motivated by anything other than genuine distress and
concern about what has gone wrong.
“Tribune MPs will give
whatever support we can to those former or current members of
staff who face any form of
intimidation.
“But further statements
of shock and disappointment are not enough. We are already
overdue the time for taking the kind of action which has any
chance of restoring confidence in our values and processes. The
NEC must therefore act immediately to:
-
Immediately
establish an independent investigation into the allegations
of interference in the party’s disciplinary procedures
-
Establish an
independent complaints procedure with representation from the
Jewish community, which is totally independent from the
Leadership of the .
-
Agree a process for
automatic suspension from the where there are prima
facie breaches of the code of behaviour relating to
antisemitism.
“Members of the NEC
must have access to the evidence provided to the EHRC in order to
fulfil their proper functions and responsibilities in relation to
the party.”
Signed by:
