Members of Jewish community lodge 1,000 official complaints against Jeremy Corbyn

The complaints allege that the Labour leader has brought his own party into disrepute 
The complaints allege that the Labour leader has brought his own party into disrepute  Credit: PA

Members of the Jewish community have lodged more than 1,000 official complaints calling on Labour to investigate Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism.

The complaints, delivered to the party headquarters  on Monday, allege that Mr Corbyn has brought the Labour party into disrepute by creating a “safe haven” for racists. . 

The signatories add their names to a complaint lodged by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism (CAA) earlier this month. The charity, which is considering legal action if Labour refuses to investigate, says that Mr Corbyn has failed to act to stamp out hatred for three years and now his party must show that they take the matter seriously.

The complaint also alleges that Mr Corbyn breached the party's conditions of membership and social media rules through his membership of online groups containing anti-Semitic material.

The 1,000 plus letters state: “Under Jeremy Corbyn, Labour has become a safe haven for racists. He is at home amongst them, having spent his political career seeking out and giving succour to Holocaust deniers, genocidal antisemitic terrorist groups and a litany of Jew-haters.

“Labour must lead by example and show that Jeremy Corbyn is bound by the same rules as Leader as he was as a backbencher.”

The complaints, many of which were signed during a protest organised by the CAA outside Labour’s HQ earlier this month, were addressed to Jennie Formby, the party’s General Secretary.

The demonstration organised by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism earlier this month
The demonstration organised by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism earlier this month Credit: AFP

She has already dismissed the CAA’s original complaint, pointing to speeches that Mr Corbyn has made in support of the Jewish community.

The complaint alleges that Mr Corbyn has breached Labour's code of conduct which prevents members from acting in a way that is "grossly detrimental to the Party" by characterising the "Jewish people as dissembling and dishonest" when they reported anti-Semitism. 

Ms Formby said that this did not constitute a breach of the rules, adding that this  was “clearly” not what he was doing as he had said that Jewish people “had good cause to feel vulnerable and even threatened” when he launched an investigation into the issue. 

Distancing him from the comments of others in the party, Ms Formby also said that his membership of Facebook groups which contained anti-Semitic material had already been explained by the leader who said he was unaware of the offending content.

Joseph Glasman delivering the complaint forms to Labour HQ
Joseph Glasman delivering the complaint forms to Labour HQ

Joseph Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at the CAA, said: “Just a week ago, thousands of demonstrators joined us outside Labour Head Office to demand that the Labour Party hold Jeremy Corbyn to account for bringing the Party into disrepute in breach of Labour's own rules.

“We filed a disciplinary complaint to that effect which the Labour Party has thus far tried to rebut without even the formality of an investigation, so today I hand delivered disciplinary complaints from among the more than a thousand we received on the day from those who demonstrated with us, who wish to add their names to the complaint.

“Jennie Formby, the new General Secretary of the Labour Party, must cease her insulting attempt to whitewash these complaints and investigate Mr Corbyn’s conduct. If the Labour Party refuses to hold him to account, then we will hold the Labour Party to account, in court if necessary.” 

The Labour Party has said that the response of Ms Formby still stands.

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