Extract from Politico London Playbook blog - EHRC Report

CRUNCH TIME FOR CORBYN: Labour today faces “the most shameful moment in its history,” according to Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth, as the Equality and Human Rights Commission finally publishes the findings of its 16-month investigation into anti-Semitism in the party under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. The final version of the long-anticipated report has been kept under lock and key — Playbook is told you can just about count the number of people who have read it on one hand. Neither Corbyn, his former Chief of Staff Karie Murphy, nor former Director of Communications Seumas Milne have seen it, a pro-Corbyn source says. But a draft copy was sent to Labour in July and those named were given a right of reply to the relevant sections, meaning some (hopefully decent) steers did start to leak out last night. As Labour leader Keir Starmer seeks to draw a line under the scandal that defined Labour’s past five years, here’s what we know so far, how the key figures will respond, and how today will play out.

10 a.m.: The EHRC will publish its 100-plus-page report online. An “off camera press briefing” will take place with EHRC lead investigator Alasdair Henderson — a barrister who, after a quick Google, Playbook finds ran for the “Whigs” in the 2015 election, where he accused Ed Miliband’s Labour of having “uninspiring” policies and “lacking in vision.” EHRC Director Alastair Pringle will also speak at the briefing. EHRC spokespeople will be touring the TV studios for the rest of the day.

11 a.m.: Labour leader Keir Starmer will then hold a press conference with questions for the media over Zoom, where he is likely to accept all of the report’s recommendations. You can watch the presser online here — Starmer is up at 11.07 a.m. to be precise.

Also around 11 a.m.: Corbyn will first release a lengthy written statement responding to the report, Playbook hears, where he will strongly defend his and his allies’ handling of anti-Semitism cases. The former Labour leader will then do a broadcast clip in time for the 1 p.m. news bulletins. Keep an eye out for a final outing of angry Jez death staring reporters outside his house.

Midday: The Jewish Labour Movement, which was one of the primary third-party complainants to the EHRC report, will then hold its own press conference — which will be a box office event. The JLM leadership will appear alongside their Mishcon de Reya lawyers, so we could get some news on any potential further legal action to be taken against the Labour Party or even any individuals named in the report.

DID LABOUR BREAK THE LAW? The Guardian’s Jess Elgot has far and away the best lines previewing the report’s contents. She says the EHRC will indeed find Labour acted unlawfully in its treatment of Jewish members, breaching equality law with “indirect discrimination” in the operation of the party’s processes. Mishcon will be watching like hawks — and it could mean the party faces another huge legal bill after Starmer ordered it to pay “substantial damages” to seven Labour whistleblowers over the summer.

IS LABOUR INSTITUTIONALLY RACIST? Labour sources who spoke to Playbook last night said they would be surprised if the EHRC accused Labour of being institutionally racist, although it is important to note no one has yet seen the report’s final conclusions. Some expect the report to say the party did not do enough to counter harassment of Jewish Labour MPs and members by anti-Semites.

WHAT WILL IT SAY ABOUT CORBYN? Elgot reckons: “The EHRC is not expected to make direct recommendations that disciplinary action should be taken against high-profile individuals such as Corbyn.” One source tells Playbook the report will not make any judgment on whether Corbyn himself is anti-Semitic. But the Guardian says its language will be “strong” and it will heap pressure on Starmer to take disciplinary action against individuals such as Corbyn, Murphy and former Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby.

HOW HARD WILL STARMER GO? Leader of the Opposition’s Office sources last night refused to be drawn on whether they would take disciplinary action against Corbyn or any of his allies, so we can’t rule out Starmer going nuclear. The Labour leader’s allies say he wants the party to be able to “move on” from the years of anti-Semitism rows, which could mean consequences for those named in the report. This, plus any potential legal action, is where the main action of the day will be.

WHAT WILL IT RECOMMEND? Elgot says at the very least the EHRC will call for Labour to establish a new independent system to handle complaints, after investigating alleged interference in the disciplinary process by members of Corbyn’s team. You’d expect a fair bit more in the final recommendations, though.

WHAT THE LABOUR RIGHT WILL SAY: Expect Labour grandees from the Blair and Brown years to spend the day trying to bury Corbyn and the Labour left. Former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls yesterday told Times Radio Corbyn “said things which were anti-Semitic” and that his handling of the crisis was a “tragedy and a disaster.” Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on the same station that Corbyn’s Labour was tainted “by an absolutely appalling ideology that was blind and deaf to the sort of moral collapse that anti-Semitism represents.”

WHAT THE LABOUR LEFT WILL SAY: The case for the defense from Corbyn and his outriders will be that Labour’s compliance unit did take months to act on some of the most high-profile anti-Semitism cases when it was under the control of anti-Corbyn General Secretary Iain McNicol, but when McNicol was replaced by the pro-Corbyn Formby, the disciplinary process vastly improved. The Corbynistas will refer to these leaked emails to make their argument. Karie Murphy outlined the position in the Guardian earlier this week.

HERE WE, HERE WE GO: Here’s a taster of what you can expect from Corbyn’s former spokesperson Matt Zarb-Cousin, who texts Playbook: “I hope all of the recommendations from the EHRC are implemented swiftly and without the unacceptable degree of obstinance that the previous leadership was confronted with when it tried to reform the party’s processes following the Chakrabarti Inquiry.”

TIMELINE: 26/04/2016: A reporter at the Guido Fawkes website breaks the first Labour anti-Semitism story, forcing the suspension of Bradford MP Naz Shah … 28/04/2016: Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone is suspended from the party after his remarks about Hitler and Zionism … 18/05/2016: Janet Royall‘s report into anti-Semitic behavior at Oxford University Labour Club finds anti-Semites should not be banned for life if they change their views … 30/06/2016: Shami Chakrabartireleases her report on anti-Semitism, but is accused of a whitewash … while Jewish Labour MP Ruth Smeeth faces abuse at the launch … 05/08/2016: Jeremy Corbynhands Chakrabarti a peerage … 30/9/2016: Labour suspends Jackie Walker for her comments about the Holocaust … 16/10/2016: The Home Affairs Select Committee Report accuses Corbyn and his team of “demonstrable incompetence” in handling anti-Semitism … 05/04/2017: Livingstone avoids expulsion but is suspended for another year …

24/02/2018: Labour General Secretary Iain McNicol quits … 20/03/2018: Corbyn ally Jennie Formby named as McNicol’s replacement … 23/03/2018: Corbyn comes under pressure to explain his comments defending an anti-Semitic mural … 26/03/2018: The “Enough is Enough” rally is held outside parliament … 29/03/2018: Christine Shawcroft resigns as chair of Labour’s disputes panel after blocking the suspension of a member accused of Holocaust denial … 17/07/2018: Labour’s ruling NEC body rejects the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism … 18/07/2018: Margaret Hodge calls Corbyn “a racist and an anti-Semite,” prompting an investigation into her conduct … 06/08/2018: Labour eventually drops the Hodge investigation … 11/08/2018: Reports emerge of Corbyn laying a wreath at the graves of Munich terrorists … he says he was “present but not involved” … 24/08/2018: Footage shows Corbyn remarking in 2013 that Zionists “don’t understand English irony” …

04/09/2018: Labour’s NEC eventually adopts the IHRA definition in full … November 2018: The Jewish Labour Movement refers the Labour Party to the Equality and Human Rights Commission … 01/02/2019: Corbyn says Chris Williamson is “not anti-Semitic in any way” … 18/02/2019: Luciana Berger quits Labour, citing the levels of anti-Semitic abuse she received … 27/02/2019: Williamson is suspended after saying Labour was “too apologetic” for anti-Semitism … 27/03/2019: Jackie Walkerfinally expelled from the Labour Party … 07/04/2019: The Jewish Labour Movement passes a vote of no confidence in Corbyn … 28/05/2019: The EHRC launches its formal investigation … 27/06/2019: Williamson allowed back into the party … 10/07/2019: John Ware‘s Panorama documentary carrying interviews with whistleblowers airs … 7/11/2019: Williamson is banned from standing for Labour and he quits the party … 22/07/2020: Labour apologizes and pays damages to the Panorama whistleblowers … 29/10/2020: The EHRC releases its report into Labour anti-Semitism.