Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out allowing Jeremy Corbyn to stand as a Labour candidate in the next general election as he marked a watchdog’s decision to no longer monitor the party over antisemitism.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) had been scrutinising the party for more than two years since ruling it was responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination, and demanding changes over its law-breaking handling of antisemitism under Sir Keir’s predecessor.
But the watchdog has said that, under his leadership, the party has improved its complaints and training procedures to protect current and future party members.
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Speaking after the decision was published, Sir Keir called it an “important moment in the history of the Labour Party” that had taken “many, many months of hard work and humility”.
But he said it was not a day for “celebration”, adding: “It is one for reflection on how a party that has always prided itself on its anti-racism, its commitment to equality, its belief in a better, fairer Britain could have fallen so far as to betray its own principles, as well as the principles of the country.”
Asked if Mr Corbyn would be allowed to run under the party’s banner, Sir Keir – who served in his predecessor’s shadow cabinet – said: “Let me be very clear about that. Jeremy Corbyn will not stand for Labour at the general election as a Labour Party candidate.
“What I said about the party changing, I meant that. We are not going back. And that is why Jeremy Corbyn will not stand as a Labour candidate at the next general election.”
‘Part of the problem’
The EHRC’s report into the Labour Party was published in October 2020 and detailed the “breakdown of trust between the party, its Jewish members and the wider Jewish community”.
The report was critical of the party’s handling of antisemitism complaints under Mr Corbyn’s leadership.
Immediately after its publication, Mr Corbyn claimed “the scale of the problem” of Labour antisemitism allegations was “dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents”.
He also said he did not accept all of the EHRC report’s findings in comments that prompted his suspension from the party.
It led to him being kicked off Labour’s backbenches by Sir Keir – meaning he now sits as an independent MP – but he remains a member of the wider party.
Mr Corbyn subsequently sought to clarify his remarks and a five-member disciplinary panel of Labour’s National Executive Committee decided that he should be reinstated.
But Sir Keir stuck to his decision after facing pressure from angry MPs not to allow him back into the parliamentary party.
Appearing to point to Mr Corbyn’s actions during his speech this morning, Sir Keir said: “Let me be very clear, those who seek to blame others or downplay what happened in our party are, themselves, part of the problem and we will have zero patience or tolerance of that.
“Change is never easy. And I understand that some people won’t like the changes we’ve made. But I say this with all candour – the Labour Party is unrecognisable from 2019 and it will never go back.
“It will never again be a party captured by narrow interests. It will never again lose sight of its purpose or its morals. And it will never again be brought to its knees by racism or bigotry.
“If you don’t like that, if you don’t like the changes we have made, I say the door is open and you can leave.
“But to all those who can see we have changed for the better, and are excited about doing even more, to all those who dream of a Britain that is fairer, greener, more dynamic, to all those who want to make this great country, greater still I say the door is open. Come in. Make us your home again.”
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Corbyn ‘knew what he did’
Speaking to Sky News, senior backbencher and Jewish MP Dame Margaret Hodge supported Sir Keir’s stance on the former leader, saying it was “a matter of his own doing,” adding: “[Mr Corbyn] has been the master of his own destiny. He knew what he did. He knows what he feels.”
She also praised the current Labour leader, telling Sky News’ Kay Burley: “One of the first phone calls that Keir Starmer made after he became elected leader was to me and to other Jews who had suffered under the time of Jew hate with Corbyn.
“And he promised us then that he would show zero tolerance to antisemitism, and he’s acted.”
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Starmer says sorry again
The Labour Party says it has implemented a programme of change since the report was published in 2020.
It includes clearing the backlog of antisemitism complaints, transforming the party’s complaints handling processes and ensuring two independent complaints boards have been fully operational since April 2022.
It also includes terminating the membership of hundreds of individuals who expressed a desire to “campaign against the recommendations of the EHRC report”.
Sir Keir apologised again on Wednesday “to all those who were hurt, to all those who were let down, to all those driven out of our party, who no longer felt it was their home, who suffered the most appalling abuse”.
And he promised there would be “zero tolerance of antisemitism, of racism, of discrimination of any kind” under his leadership.
“Be in no doubt, the job of restoring Labour is not complete,” said Sir Keir. “Not even close.
“I don’t see today’s announcement as the end of the road. I see it as a signpost that we are heading in the right direction.”
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‘We welcome clean bill of health’
Jewish Labour Movement national secretary Adam Langleben said: “We welcome the EHRC giving Labour a clean bill of health.”
Mr Langleben said the Labour Party was in “moral turpitude and political denial” in 2019, adding: “Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, it had become an unsafe space for Jews.”
But he added “the Labour Party we see today is unrecognisable from what the party had become under Corbyn”.
He continued: “Jews can once again call Labour their natural home and have no concerns about voting for it.
“That this is the case is a testament to the leadership shown by Keir Starmer.”
