EHRC text describes ‘political interference’ by Corbyn’s office – but, as always, the devil is in the detail
A section of the EHRC’s report being heavily spun and exploited by opponents of the movement that galvanised under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party is that on ‘political interference’.
But while the section is phrased vaguely enough to make such spin possible, the ‘devil in the detail’ exposes the spin for what it is. Here is that section in full:
Political interference-
As such, we have identified two separate relevant practices or policies:1. the overall practice or policy operating from March 2016 to May 2019, in which LOTO or the leadership was involved in ‘politically sensitive’ complaints, and
2. the specific and formal practice of referring all antisemitism complaints to LOTO in March–April 2018.
We saw political interference happening on 23 occasions in our sample of 70 cases, sometimes more than once in the same case. Of these there were:
• 8 instances between March 2016 and the start of March 2018
• 10 instances during the period when this apparently became a more
formalised policy between March and April 2018, and
• 5 instances between April 2018 and May 2019.Both of these practices or policies fall within the definition of indirect discrimination that we explain in Chapter 2.
These practices or policies put the person making an antisemitism complaint at a disadvantage, because they gave rise to a reasonable perception of different and detrimental treatment, and a risk that their complaint would not be handled fairly, as well as actual different treatment in some cases (which was reasonably perceived to be detrimental). For example, political interference may have resulted in a complaint not being investigated because of fear of reputational damage to the Labour Party, rather than the conduct of the member complained of, or being handled more or less leniently than was justified by the facts of the case.
We received representations noting that the intervention of LOTO staff in some antisemitism cases was to press for action to be taken, and that this could not amount to a disadvantage. We accept that, in some cases, the LOTO staff interference catalysed action. However, the inappropriateness of political interference in antisemitism complaints is not necessarily about the particular outcomes that it led to, but rather the contamination (and / or the perception of contamination) of the fairness of the process.
Jewish members are proportionately more likely than non-Jewish members to make a complaint about antisemitism. Consequently, the practice of political interference in antisemitism complaints, and in ‘politically sensitive’ complaints generally, put Jewish members at a particular disadvantage compared to non-Jewish members.
55 Investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party
For the reasons we give above, there was no good reason for LOTO staff to become involved in decision-making in antisemitism complaints, or in ‘politically sensitive’ cases, outside of the complaints process, therefore the interference was not justified.
We therefore find that the Labour Party’s practice or policy of political interference in ‘politically sensitive’ complaints between March 2016 and May 2019, and the formal practice or policy of involving LOTO in antisemitism complaints in March–April 2018, amounted to unlawful indirect discrimination against its Jewish members, contrary to section 101(2)(a) and / or (d) of the non Jewish members.
The section makes clear that:
- a big majority of the instances of ‘interference’ relates to the period before Jennie Formby took over as general secretary – a period in which the leaked Labour report has shown that cases were being delayed, diverted and ignored by members of HQ staff – forcing Corbyn’s ‘LOTO’ team to press for action
- Corbyn’s team did press for action and for governance staff to get on with their jobs – and the EHRC explicitly accepts this
- political and media pressure damaged the proper handling of cases
- the ‘interference’ led to tougher sanctions in some cases: “being handled more or less leniently”… “not necessarily about the particular outcomes that it led to”
As the EHRC report repeatedly confirms, Labour’s performance on disciplinary processes dramatically improved under Jennie Formby.
But the most explosive point is that the EHRC refers to ‘formalising’ a process of cases being referred to LOTO “between March and April 2018” – the transition period to Jennie Formby’s tenure as general secretary, when the party’s ‘Governance and Legal Unit’ (GLU) was still run by the party’s right.
And a blockbuster email from LOTO to that unit, which the EHRC report omits, shows that exactly when the policy was supposedly becoming ‘more formalised’, LOTO was in fact asking why GLU was inappropriately sending cases to Corbyn’s office when it wasn’t LOTO’s remit:
However, GLU continued sending unsolicited emails about cases over a prolonged period until directly ordered to stop doing so.
In addition, the dramatically leaked Labour report on the handling of antisemitism cases that became public earlier this year alleges that headquarters staff were deliberately delaying and obstructing the process of handling disciplinary cases, which will have led to many of the instances of LOTO pursuing GLU for speed and action, which the EHRC have classified as interference.
But as the SKWAWKBOX predicted last night and this morning, the so-called ‘mainstream’ media are not troubling themselves with facts and details when they have an opportunity to pursue the left movement that galvanised under Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party and which so threatens the Establishment.
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SB – Thanks for your diligence in pointing out the anomalies you find
Yep.
We’re still waiting for you to pick out the anomalies between between stammerism and toryism, because nobody else can.
Toffee …..well done..SH the voice of reason..not likely just another stamerite that got the Labour party in the mess they are in for what? Forty pieces of silver on a salary..sold out
Wassup, little steven – Cat got yer tongue again? Naughty Cat!!
If you’re so fed up of me ‘trolling’ you (If that’s what deconstructing your hypocrisy actually is) you can make it stop by answering the question and putting me to shame.
What’s the difference? We’re all dying to hear your take…Every bit as much as you’d prefer I got out of your way and let you spout your pro-stammerite, anti-socialist bullshit.
I wouldn’t mind, but even now – after the report says the party redoubled it’s efforts, stammer says antisemitism is HIS priority…
Well, we can no longer be in doubt that a labour government isn’t, can we? Nor the day-to-day problems faced by the 66-odd million gentiles of this country….
WELL DONE ALLAN HOWARD – U must be so proud. Leaders everywhere must be rushing to to you now to monopolise your EXCELLENT advice in essence:
1️⃣ No alternative to appeasement.
2️⃣ Repeat same. Expect different result.
3️⃣ Don’t destroy traps. Walk into them.
4️⃣ Recommend Twatson for peerage as last act in office -> more money + means to shaft us all.
5️⃣ Throw your supporters under a busses.
6️⃣ Appease those who openly say they are “working night and day to undermine you”.
7️⃣ Reverse JUSTIFIED removal of Twatson as Deputy Leader.
8️⃣ Demonstrate to witch burners, you can burn more witches than they can.
9️⃣ Rescue Arseworth.
🔟 Don’t expel Hodge or Blair or you will be attacked by… the MSM
1️⃣1️⃣ Don’t do or say anything if it will upset the MSM.
1️⃣2️⃣ Don’t communicate to those outside groups of Allan Howards.
1️⃣3️⃣ Drop you LIFE LONG EU scepticism to appease your enemies.
1️⃣4️⃣ Make symbolic statements galore with ZERO practical strategies to bring them to fruition in a real world.
1️⃣5️⃣ ADMIT that lies repeated get taken as truth YET make ZERO consistent SUSTAINED s u s t a i n e d efforts to rebut LIES. Be “above” that. Great strategy that.
1️⃣6️⃣ Keep listening to an AH = Allan Howard who works night and day to SCREAM and SHREIK at alternative views.
1️⃣7️⃣ Pine to worship at A BRIAD CHURCH with devils. Set as the most important thing to bring a party, a country, a continent.. the whole world together because somehow you can do what Moses failed to do… but ignore BASICS.
Allan Howard – AH Shill Hunter Supremo, Sharpest Tool in any box anywhere, celebrate your crowning achievement. Today you have your signature defining achievement… you have saved Jeremy from being attacked by the MSM and everyone else.
please excuse typos on this inevitable day. APPEASEMENT NEVER works a public sphere. Never. NEVER. Who said that? Who argued against?
Chris Williamson has just stated on twitter that through the wide ranging legal action he secured changes to the report which had maligned him and others. He says many pages and references were deleted.
The BBC is now asking the usual suspects whether Jeremy’s “overstated” paragraph in his comment today proves him to be an antisemite who should be expelled from Labour.
So far I’ve heard no comments on the paucity of actual cases of antisemitism in Labour, or on whether so few cases remotely support any claim of institutional antisemitism.
The media might have done better to keep it low profile.
David the news channels are reporting tha JC has lost the whip and been suspended from the party.
Jeremy’s legal fund is going up again after a long period of inactivity.
£336,238 a minute ago – I’m about to contribute again.
“Day of Shame” be fucked.
Clearly I’m not the only one thinks it’s time to fight back.
It’s increased to £348,743 so £12.5k in 4 hours from 824 donors.
Might just be a blip caused by anger at Jeremy’s treatment but I hope it continues.
Wouldn’t it be something if Unite, Unison etc. polled their members and made substantial contributions as a gesture of support for the left and as a slightly more subtle warning to Starmer than cutting his funding?
Another £700 in 15 minutes.
Breaking – Corbyn suspended.
Jeremy Corbyn has been suspended from the Labour Party
What’s the difference between stammerism and toryism, little steven?
Why do you openly support a supposed labour MP who BRAGS about supporting tory policies? Who REFUSED to prosecute TWO tory MPs – both of whom went on to become prominent cabinet members (One still is)?
A labour ‘leader’ who SACKS anyone voting against a one-line whip to abstain on a tory policy?
And SACKS a shadow cabinet member for speaking out against the pandemic because she disagreed with him agreeing with tory policy?
Four easy questions to which you’ll do nobody the courtesy of a answer. …Except to say that RLB ‘Engineered her own dismissal’…
https://skwawkbox.org/2020/10/29/ten-things-and-more-the-ehrc-report-says-that-destroy-the-rights-claims-and-credibility/#comment-161677
…And you expect NOT to be derided, and whinge like a spoilt little shite when you are?!
Toffee – The other option was that she was extremely naïve, take your pick.
And you gave us the options…One of which you so desperately want to be true
‘engineered her own dismissal’ for complete and total fuck’s sake.
Four easy questions…Still not one answer to any.
I hope thats not correct Joe,because if it is then thats just put the final nail in the coffin and job done for the establishment knight.
Not content with destroying Corbyn, the usual suspects are now trying to destroy Socialism for a generation.
Some are pointing to bits in the report that they think are useful. That is the wrong thing to do. That gives it some credibility. We should be united in rejecting the report in its entirety as an establishment anti-Labour set up and stich up.
Momentum backed candidate for deputy Angela Raynor really awful on the radio now.
It might surprise many people, but Dame Margaret Hodge was on R4 “World at One” 6 or 7 minutes after the suspension was announced and was unsuprised at the development and just too prepared.. No gloating, or delight. She might be an excellent performer for the camera and exceptionally fast-thinking, but I’m now wondering when she had been told about the unexpected suspension.
Hodge was also preening herself on the JLM panel celebrating the hand ball the ref ‘didn’t see’.
Jeremy suspended within hours by “Mr New Leadership” while a different ex leader responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocents gets to assume elder statesman status.
Fuck Labour Jeremy, let’s see what a real socialist party can do.
The aim seems clear enough: To provoke a mass of resignations before the NEC vote and dramatically shift the Labour party to the right. We are in a majority, if you leave the Labour party you will being fulfilling an obvious and crude plan. Stay and fight, divided we fall.