Starmer ‘here for long haul to change things for the community’, Camden leader
Georgia Gould, the leader of Camden Council, reflected on 'dark days' of her grandmother asking 'why are you still in the party?,' during an emotional address to Jewish members at conference
One of Keir Starmer’s closest Jewish allies in the Labour Party has said they believe the leader is “here for the long haul to change things for our community.”
Georgia Gould, the Leader of Camden Council, also praised Starmer, her local MP, saying “every time I needed someone as a Jewish leader to stand besides me he was there.”
In a speech delivered to Jewish Labour members recalled: “There were some really dark days.
“I remember going to see my grandmother who had been a Labour member all her life.
“She kept a newspaper where our Rabbi had said ‘anyone with integrity will leave the Labour Party.
“She asked me ‘why are you still here?’ and it was so hard to answer that question.
“I’m just glad she lived long enough to see Keir, to see the change start to happen.
“We now have leader of the party who is my local MP, who every time I needed someone as a Jewish leader to stand beside me – he was there.”
The 35 year-old leader, whose mother is Baroness Gail Rebuck, the chair of publisher Penguin Random House, said she recalled Starmer’s actions during a local party meeting ahead of the Enough Is Enough protest against antisemitism in Westminster.
As for Jeremy Corbyn activists attempted to vote against supporting the action by British Jews, Gould revealed Keir “stood up beside me and spoke up for us.”
She added:” He was always making time to be there for the Jewish community.
“We saw those words come into real action. I believe he is here for the long haul to change things for our community.”
But Gould, who married civil servant Alex Zatman last month, said the antisemitism row was” a fight none of us wanted. ”
She said:” I’ve never wanted to talk about antisemitism. I don’t think most Jewish people do.”
But she continued: “When I speak to our communities, they are still worried.
“They want to see us change. There was a darkness that came into our party
“It’s still there – it’s going to take a long time, a lot of education, a lot more fighting to make sure that it goes.
“But what most of our Jewish community want to talk about – about food poverty, about what they can do to help change that. They want to change things for the better.”
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.
