Dame Margeret Hodge: EHRC report will be ‘beginning of the end’ of battle
Veteran Labour MP is 'relieved' the Equality and Human Rights Commission's verdict will be delivered this week
The long-awaited publication of an official report into antisemitism in Labour will mark the “beginning of the end” of a battle in the party against the issue, a veteran MP hopes.
Dame Margaret Hodge said she is “relieved” that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) inquiry will be published on Thursday.
The human rights watchdog launched its landmark probe in May 2019 following persistent allegations of antisemitism under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
His successor Sir Keir Starmer has made tackling the issue and rebuilding trust with the Jewish community a top priority of his leadership.
A draft version of the report was sent to Labour in July, as under the Equality Act 2010, the subject of an investigation by the commission must be given at least 28 days in order to make representations of its findings before the final report is released.
The report, which has looked at the party’s disciplinary processes and response to complaints, is due to be published on Thursday morning.
Dame Margaret told the PA news agency: “I am very relieved to finally have a publication date.
“We will have to see what it says but I’m hoping this will be the beginning of the end for those of us who have been fighting antisemitism in the Labour Party for five long years.”
It comes after Mr Corbyn’s former aide Karie Murphy insisted that the party removed antisemites “more quickly, transparently and effectively than ever before” during his tenure.
She wrote in The Guardian: “As his former chief of staff, I’m proud of that record. It wasn’t easy to deliver – not because Jeremy and our team weren’t absolutely committed to protecting Jewish members and communities. Far from it.
“Every action we took was aimed at creating a process that got antisemites out of the Labour party swiftly and fairly.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
