Labour’s former Director of Governance and Legal, Thomas Gardiner, is facing calls to resign as a councillor in Camden after he was referenced 20 times in the damning report into the party’s handling of antisemitism.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission report notes how Mr Gardiner was seconded into the then Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby’s office in April 2018 and permanently appointed into the role overseeing antisemitism complaints two months later.
Several witnesses claimed Labour’s leadership had installed Mr Gardner, who was an ally of Jeremy Corbyn, to ensure they could gain control of the complaints system.
While the EHRC report said they “make no findings as to the motivations behind his secondment” into the crucial role, there was evidence that Mr Gardiner “did take a decision-making, rather than purely advisory, role in some antisemitism complaints.”
The watchdog concluded they “understand why some people perceived Thomas Gardiner to have been ‘installed’ by the Party’s senior leadership for political reasons.”
Mr Gardiner, alongside other senior officials who worked for Mr Corbyn including Seumas Milne, has now left his role within the party.
But he continues to serve as a Labour councillor in Camden.
Camden Liberal Democrats now stress that following the publication of the EHRC report there has been “no statement of apology, regret or contrition from Cllr. Gardiner.”
They add: ”As Camden Liberal Democrats, we want our borough to be a place where every community feels safe, respected and included.
“We therefore again call upon Cllr. Gardiner to apologise and to consider his position as councillor for Kilburn.
"It is incumbent upon the Camden Labour Group and wider Labour Party also to suspend and remove the party whip from Cllr Gardiner.”
Earlier this year, leaded emails showed how Mr Gardiner had expressed concern that another leaked internal report into Labour’s handling of the crisis, which was produced by Mr Corbyn’s allies, would “lay false blame” on him.
The JC has contacted Mr Gardiner for comment.
