Peers who quit Labour citing concerns over antisemitism return to political home
Lords David Triesman, Parry Mitchell and Leslie Turnberg will now sit once again with the Labour group in the upper chamber
Three Jewish peers who quit the Labour Party citing concerns over alleged antisemitism have returned to their political home.
Lords David Triesman, Parry Mitchell and Leslie Turnberg will now sit once again with the Labour group in the upper chamber.
They spoke to Jewish News on Friday morning about their reasons for rejoining and their hopes for the future of the party.
Lord Triesman, who resigned the Labour whip last year, said he had been “very generously and warmly received” by colleagues since rejoining. “I was very, very certain in my own mind that I was not going to do it unless I saw the words being used by the party being put into action and into serious action,” he said.
He revealed that he had been “hugely impressed by what Keir Starmer has been able to do and it’s the fact that he’s been so clear-cut and proactive.”
“Friends welcoming you home is always nice, and … seeing the party being transformed back to the party which would not and could not conceive of having antisemitism rooting around in it is a great encouragement,” he added.
Lord Mitchell, who left the party in 2016, said that Keir Starmer’s apology to the Jewish community after being elected Labour leader made him think he was “serious” about stamping out antisemitism.
“He could have said ‘yes, it’s an important issue and I’ll have to deal with it sometimes’, as you would expect many politicians to do. He actually said, ‘this is a prime issue, and I’m going to address it now’, and he did,” Lord Mitchell said.
The Labour peer, who described leaving the party as a painful and “really, really tough decision, said he has received several messages of support from members since rejoining.
“I feel so good that I’m back and I cannot tell you, today, the emails and texts I’ve received from Labour Party people. They’re all saying ‘welcome back, can’t wait to see you again’,” he said.
Lord Turnberg, who resigned the whip last year, said the Labour Party has “changed dramatically” since Starmer became leader.
“We are back to a Labour Party being led by someone whose philosophy and strategy, and policies are more or less were mine are, social justice and so on, and his efforts to rid the party of antisemitism are admirable so there was no reason for me not to remain or to come back into the party,” he said.
He added: “I didn’t come back straight away. I waited to see what Keir Starmer would be doing, because he may well have been limited by the existing party machine in the Labour National Executive and elsewhere.
“But he’s increasing increasingly showed himself to be above that, and has been able to remove some very key figures on the left, and move back towards a more accessible party with a range of expertise and experience and a range of policy views.”
The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s upcoming report into allegations of antisemitism in the party, expected in the coming weeks, presents Starmer with “a real opportunity.’
The EHRC launched its formal investigation last May to determine whether the party had unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised Jews.
Starmer has pledged to implement in full all of the recommendations made by the equality watchdog.
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.
