Labour leader Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner have issued a joint statement on the leaked Labour report on the misdeeds of right-wing former HQ staff, promising an independent investigation:
We have seen a copy of an apparently internal report about the work of the Labour Party’s Governance and Legal Unit in relation to antisemitism. The content and the release of the report into the public domain raise a number of matters of serious concern.
We will therefore commission an urgent independent investigation into this matter. This investigation will be instructed to look at three areas. First, the background and circumstances in which the report was commissioned and the process involved. Second, the contents and wider culture and practices referred to in the report. Third, the circumstances in which the report was put into the public domain.
We have also asked for immediate sight of any legal advice the Labour Party has already received about the report.
In the meantime, we ask everyone concerned to refrain from drawing conclusions before the investigation is complete and we will be asking the General Secretary to put measures in place to protect the welfare of party members and party staff who are concerned or affected by this report.
The statement stops short of promising specific action on the findings of the investigation, in spite of widespread calls by members for those involved to be barred from the party for life.
The independent investigator has not yet been named.
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I am sure they want to find out who leaked the report but more importantly what are they going to do with the findings of the report? Did they just want to sit on it and hoped it would go away?
One thing is clear, in order to ensure trust with the members of the party those who worked against Labour in 2017 or 2019 and are still employed by the party should be suspended and dismissed. Those who no longer work for the party should still be investigated and if legal action can be taken against them, the party should make all efforts to do so. These people robbed us of winning in 2017 and have no place in our party.
“These people robbed us of winning in 2017 and have no place in our party.”
Yes but this has far bigger implications… subversion of democracy, working against the interests of the public…
totally agree Christopher.
PMSL!
They are more interested in the leak, than the culprits.
But then, why would Starmer attack his allies?
Point 2 is OK, points 1 and 3 look like a possible attempt to turn the investigation against the left.
Yes L. Both of those points make a round-about reference to “Who the hell let the cat out of the bag?”
Point 2 should be the ONLY point. The fact that it isn’t means members are really going to have to hold Starmer’s feet to the fire or he’ll just let his mates off the hook. His behaviour in the Assange affair does not inspire hope..
expect nothing good from Starmer.
Why should a man who has been bought and paid for by international finance lead an investigation into wrong doing by the right wing apparatchiks in the party when he is part of the same cabal which sought twice to prevent the democratic process and whilst head of the prosecution service bullied the Swedish authorities to continue persecuting a political prisoner, Jullian Assange. The democratic socialist members of the party can expect no justice from this man or his team. Procrastination and kicking any investigation with any prosecution of key figures ie Mc Nichol, into the long grass!
Also, let a Mr Savile off the hook owing to “insufficient evidence” so I am led to believe..
Or we could join the dots
Who is the abusive and rude person responsible for over 50% of AS claims in 2019, 90% of which were thrown out immediately
Vexatious claims of anti semitism are a hate crime and should be prosecuted, is this person still in the party
Obviously the link with the Panorama Drama, ask BBC for comment
CAA, who are they, because they are not a charity
BoD ask for a comment
Pantomime Dame ask how many complaints did she make 2019
Those kicked out hopefully will be taking legal advice
Keir and Angela, we need to see these people being summarily dealt with, how about expelling them subject to appeal
Whats good for the goose
The use of the word “apparently” in the first para makes me think.
I expect we will, as LP members, each receive a copy of this by e-mail.
The response appears to be concentrating on questioning (undermining) the remit of the report and finding the whistle-blower.
“we ask everyone concerned to refrain from drawing conclusions ”
|ARE they effing serious !!!! really !!! . The proof is there in black and white ,wtf other conclusions could anyone sane or rational otherwise draw !!
Good effing grief
If there is anyone who didn’t know this was going on, where the hell have you been?
This could be his defining moment.
Did they not know there was an investigation and if so how long have the inner sanctum been aware?
Protection of Whistleblower if in the Public Interest .
Interesting times.
Why have they never been interested in who leaked previously (the leaks lapped up by the press and gleefully used to smear folks). What a rotten party apparatus.
“We have seen a copy of an apparently internal report” Beejeezus ~ quite Orwellian language.
Instead of John McDonnell continually trying to play down the influence of the Israel Lobby he should have been on their case right from the very start. Indeed he should have had a plan ready to deal with them even before Corbyn was elected. It was 100% guaranteed that they would do their very utmost to destroy Corbyn or any other Socialist who got anywhere near no10.
You are absolutely right. Furthermore, he sacrificed his principles on the altar of “ unity” which he kept preaching about and I witnessed him first hand doing this, yet, failed to realise that the “ moderates, centrists “ Blairites, the right wing apparatchiks in the party plus Starmer had no idea what that term meant unless it was on their terms!
Erm, isn’t this report compiled for ECHR on handling of anti-Semitism in LP? How come a report is only “apparently” an internal report… confused much.
I smell a great big, dirty whistleblower witch hunt and ‘better cover arses and let’s try and spin blame 180’ rat from these weasel words of Starmer/Raynor combo. Not impressed one iota but then I didn’t expect to be impressed by that team.
Is a copy going to be forwarded to the EHRC as this would appear to be crucial evidence, as they have yet to come to any conclusions?
Is the BBC planning a rebuttal program in light of this and also issue an apology for displaying due diligence in their investigations and objectivity?
SM, good points. Even now, the BBC will probably in the process of commissioning their arch JLM defender John Ware to make a programme showing how the report is a stitch up and should not be believed.
“In the meantime, we ask everyone concerned to refrain from drawing conclusions before the investigation is complete”. Interesting, Starmer chose WMD Blair’s ex flatmate and Attorney General who refused to reveal his legal advice to cabinet regarding Blair’s invasion of Iraq, Starmer has appointed him AG again.
I heard the same AG C Faulkner giving his conclusions on an AS investigation, he was yet to conduct. The Faulkner “did not refrain from drawing conclusions before the investigation” had even started, much less “complete”.
Jeremy, Tricket etc should be all over the media pointing these facts out. Further, in the same way Starner is ow using party funds on lawyers, the NEC should have been and should be providing all the unjustly expelled members with party funded legal advice & support. Were it up to me, i would regard Starmer as being unfit to lead any party, suspend him and put the party under special measures. A temporary team should be appointed to lead the party until we can elect a new leader. Richard Burgon should be the interim Leader. Act not react. Be bold not timid. Rules are made for people, not people for rules. These are special circumstances.
“the hope” expressed by anti-Corbyn staffers that Labour would not be electorally successful.”
“Those in charge of party operations wanted the Liberal Democrats to win the 2017 Manchester Gorton byelection, created a “secret key seats team” to prioritise general election spending in seats held by MPs on the right of the party even when they were “safe”,
They “were disappointed when Corbyn’s Labour did better than expected in the 2017 general election.”
The messages show discussion of a “Trot hunt” during the 2015 leadership election to prevent new party members voting for Corbyn.”
Yet, when this leadership election was called, instead of freezing the membership, deadweights allowed rightwing entryist to reinfect the party. How did that work out? It is a will to act that was absent, not the capacity. I say it plain and bold. The culture of the TRUE “Left” is not fit for purpose. A failure to realise that, does a gross injustice to those who need TRUE Labour most. To fail to learn, to refuse to face facts, to refuse to extract ourselves from an inconsistent damp fog, is to betray the many AGAIN and enable the few. That must never happen again. It is an amateurish, out of touch indulgent worthless determination to protest out of power. It is a determination to moan from the sidelines, accept crumbs from the banquet of the right wing. It is to believe like Bernie Sanders that enabling Biden will produce something worthwhile… or Hilary lost because she is a woman. It is to gulp the drivel of warmongering Tony Blair and not see that the creature like Starmer is bad news and we had no choice but to endure the least worse option while doing the preparation that should have begun your years ago.
The situation is of our own making. There was no time in history where people were presented with a perfect set of circumstances… then again yes there was. When Jeremy and the membership defeated the rightwing bullies THREE times, plus the 2017 election, it was proof that people were sick of the vomit of WMD Blair. But despite open declaration of sabotage by Mandelson for eg, over and over instead of seizing the most incredible opportunities, a chance to transform this country was BETRAYED by negligence inconsistent kindness and gentleness ALWAYS lavished on enemies and not friends.
It is a psychological trait commonly observed re victims of domestic violence. The victim is made to believe a fantasy that it is better to act against their obvious interest… over and over again. It is learnt behaviour. The cycle can be broken. Sadly the victim holds the key, but through habit never uses it. They eventually believe that their suffering is a sign of being “virtuous”. It is no such thing, when others pay the price. There is no virtue in smashing the hopes of the many, while rewarding the bile of the few. Virtue is PURPOSEFUL, DYNAMIC and ACTIVE.
🌹🌹🌹
Put a sock in it signpost for Cods sake!
https://youtu.be/GOJGGSaGqtw
…………perhaps this will explain the validity of the ‘Report’ a little better & why Sir Starmer takes instruction from the Board of Deputies.
This all happened in the LP in the 80’s, particularly in Liverpool where the winning team was thrown out of office by the Tories with the avid support of Kinnock and crew. This was despite gaining the highest ever vote for Labour.
The rulebook was thrown out the window, LP members names provided and printed in the media, after which some peoples’ homes and property were attacked. No semblence of democracy or natural justice whatsoever.
LP councilors were vilified, expelled, and were hit with a massive legal bill. Their ‘crime’ was to delay setting the local taxation rate. The judge had been a NF candidate in the 30’s. Don’t think the suits are on our side; the rich always betray the poor.
This time millions should realise that the game is bent, on top of the millions that won’t vote Labour anymore. It’s unlikely that Starmer will introduce more accountability and democracy. It ‘suits the suits’ the way things are!! Opposition MP forever, Kerching!
Times are changing though; we may not live in a democracy anymore but now at least the younger generations realise it, even if others don’t. The best slaves are those that think they’re free but talking to teenagers these days makes me realise they’re in front of us on this one.
A lot of wealthy Labour donors are asking for refunds – I am seriously very worried that the party will go bankrupt. These are existential times.😢