Democracy and the labour movement

Submitted by AWL on 8 December, 2020 - 3:01
EHRC report on Labour and antisemitism

On 7 December, the Labour Party National Executive (NEC) adopted a “draft plan” in response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) report of 29 October finding that Labour had dealt with antisemitism inadequately.

The vote, according to LabourList, was unanimous. The draft plan will not be published: only, after some time, the plan finally agreed with the EHRC.

The plan is likely to set out new disciplinary processes for Labour. They can hardly be worse than the present mess.

The plan won’t include a political offensive, through debate and education, against the antisemitism in the Party which goes under cover of the idea that “the Israel Lobby” is the main racist, imperialist, and right-wing power worldwide. Remonstrations against antisemitism are then taken to be machinations of that “Lobby”, and to dismiss them is deemed an “anti-racist” act.

Nor will it include a solid restoration of democracy and freedom of debate, a reversing of the rules under which even allowing debate on previous suspensions or disciplinary actions can get you suspended.

The left must go for both a political offensive against antisemitism, and a regime where disciplinary action comes only after due process and for clear and defined breaches of elementary labour-movement solidarity.

• Suggested wording for motions on this and other issues here

• Links and information for other campaign activity (Safe and Equal, free movement, Osime Brown, Ugyhur Solidarity, and more) here.

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