Jennie Formby stands down as Labour’s general secretary
Left-wing activist reflects on a 'very challenging period' during which the party was dogged by antisemitism claims and she suffered from ill-health
Jennie Formby has stood down as general secretary of the Labour Party after two years she described as “a very challenging period”.
During her time as general secretary the party was rocked by antisemitism claims, rows over Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and she also underwent treatment for cancer.
The resignation comes after Labour announced an investigation into the leaking of a controversial dossier on antisemitism.
She said: “It has been a huge privilege to be general secretary of the largest political party in Europe for the last two years but now we have a new leadership team it is the right time to step down.
“I would like to thank Jeremy, our members and my staff colleagues who have given me so much support during what has been a very challenging period, in particular when I was suffering from ill health.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer thanked Formby “for her service, and for the personal and professional efforts she has made in advancing the cause she has fought all her life for.
“Jennie has led our party’s organisation with commitment and energy through a period of political upheaval, including a snap general election last year. I wish her the very best for the future”.
Earlier this month, Formby wrote to constituency parties telling them not to share a leaked internal probe into antisemitism on social media or elsewhere.
She warned that: “Any individual who shares or distributes the report or its contents on an unauthorised basis will be immediately exposing themselves to potential significant civil and criminal liability.”
Ahead of the election in December, Formby hit back at scathing criticism of the party from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis. He branded claims that Labour is tackling antisemitism a “mendacious fiction”, to which she set out steps the party was taking, in a column for Jewish News.
The Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) said it has “consistently taken the view that the governance and leadership of the Labour Party is fundamentally broken and no longer fit for purpose in its handling of antisemitism. It was on this basis that we asked the EHRC to launch an investigation into the Labour Party in September 2018 and we anticipate their final report in the coming months.”
We wish Jennie Formby well in her continued recovery from ill health and for the future. We hope that her successor as General Secretary will be in post in good time to implement the recommendations of the EHRC report. JLM will be prepared to reengage with Party HQ once new management is in place and it has demonstrated the necessary contrition and willingness to change.
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.
