Leaked emails reveal discussion about the make-up of a panel due to hear cases of antisemitism including activist Jackie Walker, who claimed that 'many Jews' were 'financiers' of the African sugar and slave trade
July 21, 2019 09:53
Labour is facing fresh allegations that key aides to Jeremy Corbyn's have been interfering in antisemitism cases after leaked emails showed them trying interfere with the party’s highest disciplinary body.
According to Sky News, Mr Corbyn's chief of staff, Karie Murphy, tasked officials with compiling a dossier setting out how The National Constitution Committee could be challenged.
The emails were about the make-up of an NCC panel, which has the power to expel members, that was due to hear cases relating to antisemitism in July 2018, including the high profile case of Jackie Walker - two years after she was first suspended by the party.
In the emails, Ms Murphy said it was "absurd" that the NCC was able to "overrule" concerns raised by the leadership.
The Board of Deputies said the emails showed the aides wanted to "interfere" over antisemitism cases and were “not prepared to let the NCC” - which operates independently of the party's governing body - "be independent".
In the emails Ms Murphy suggested that trade union representatives on the NCC might voulenteer to help challenge the make-up of the panel.
Ms Murphy's comments were made in response to an email from Labour general secretary Jennie Formby, which also copied in director of communications Seamus Milne, policy adviser Andrew Fisher and Mr Corbyn, via a private email address.
Extracts from the email chain, from May last year, were featured in last week's BBC Panorama on antisemitism, however Ms Murphy's comments were not included in the programme.
The email chain was started by Ms Formby, who forwarded a report that Ms Murphy had requested on how the NCC worked.
Ms Murphy replied by suggesting the party official who had produced it had not done a "competent report," and told Ms Formby what she felt was missing.
She wrote: "It doesn't cover: Who sits on the NCC? What organisations do they represent? When are they elected? Or due for re-election. Are they accountable to the NEC [National Executive Committee]? Are they answerable to the GSO [general secretary's office]? How can we challenge their decisions - ie can LP [the Labour Party] challenge them not a complainant or member but the GSO/Leader/NEC Chair".
Ms Murphy asked whether it would be possible to use "an external challenge" to change the make up of an NCC panel.
She described it as "a very important hearing" and appeared concerned at "the very idea that the Chair [of the NCC] can overrule the GSO is absurd. I am sure one of the NCC members from a union would volunteer to help with this."
At the time Ms Walker, who had claimed that “many Jews” were “financiers” of the African sugar and slave trade, wrongly suggested Holocaust Memorial Day did not commemorate other genocides and said she could not find a definition of antisemitism she could work with, was under investigation. She has since been expelled from the party.
In response to Ms Murphy, Ms Formby said it was doubtful that an external legal challenge would work due to the NCC's independence.
But added: "The NCC cannot be allowed to continue in the way that they are at the moment."
She also said that she "spoke with a couple of NCC members" in relation to the matter.
She said she would be "challenging" the choice of personnel on Ms Walker's panel to make sure that the same people who decided to expel anti-Zionist activist Tony Greenstein and Marc Wadsworth were not on the panel that would decide Ms Walker’s fate.
Ms Formby said that the NCC had deliberately decided to delay Ms Walker's case from being heard for more than a year in order to make Mr Corbyn look bad.
"A delay for which Jeremy has of course had to bear the blame," she wrote.
Labour told Panorama that Ms Formby's comments were evidence of her determination to ensure the NCC was held accountable for the length of time they take to hear cases.
A spokesperson said: "Any allegation that there was any attempt to interfere with this case or support this individual is entirely untrue, as proven by the fact that the individual was expelled this year, while Jennie Formby was general secretary, after these disaffected staffers had left."
However speaking to Sky News, Labour's former head of disputes, Sam Matthews said he believed the emails showed that the leader's office wanted Ms Walker to stay in the party.
Mr Matthews, a key whistle blower who broke a confidentiality agreement in order to speak publicly about his concerns over the party's handling of antisemitism complaints, said: "I do not believe this was about expelling Jackie Walker more quickly, this was about keeping her in.
"Why would you feel so strongly that you need to change the make-up of a panel that had rightly expelled Tony Greenstein and Marc Wadsworth, if your aim was to ensure Jackie Walker was also expelled?"
Marie van Der Zyl, president of the Board, told Sky News the email chain "clearly shows they want to interfere in the process - they're not prepared to let the NCC be independent.
"There is no independence and this cover-up and conspiracy by them, and by Jeremy Corbyn's office, cannot continue.
"There must be independence and this is vital for the reputation of the Labour Party, and they must show that they take responsibility.
"Jeremy Corbyn has to accept personal responsibility in dealing with this as a matter of urgency".
Peter Mason, the National Secretary of the Jewish Labour Movement decribed the emails as "incredible."
He said: "We’ve gone from the party insisting that there was no political interference within the disciplinary process, to one of its executive directors suggesting the party sue *itself* to stack the composition of a panel on a high profile case.
"The idea that the NCC should be somehow called to heel by the GSO or LOTO is an anathema to what is supposed to be an independent process.
“It has been systematically undermined by being blamed for not hearing cases quickly enough, despite cases not being compiled..."
Wow. This is incredible. We’ve gone from the Party insisting that there was no political interference within the disciplinary process, to one of its Executive Directors suggesting the Party sue *itself* to stack the composition of a panel on a high profile case. https://t.co/DJl6cfkxiz
— Peter Mason (@_petermason) July 19, 2019
A Labour Party spokesperson told Sky News: "The emails are entirely proper and show no attempt to interfere with any individual case. Rather, the General Secretary and senior members of Party staff were seeking to understand why the NCC was taking so long to hear cases. The speeding up of the disciplinary process is of significant concern to Jewish Community organisations and a key task of the General Secretary.
"Rather than seeking to protect alleged antisemites, Jennie Formby was clearly insisting that Jackie Walker's case be heard swiftly, after the case had been delayed before Jennie Formby became General Secretary.
"Jackie Walker was expelled this year, while Jennie Formby was General Secretary. The email also shows Jennie Formby doing her job by acting to prevent any legal challenge to an NCC ruling on the basis of the make up of the panel."
