Thread: The reason @jewishlabour called in the @EHRC to investigate unlawful discriminatory acts by @UKLabour against Jews was the desire to get an independent investigation, following years of LOTO & the NEC simply ignoring us, undermining us and allowing behavior to continue /1

Its worth remembering that the reason we are now here are the countless occasions we asked LOTO and the Party to act: Setting an example to the membership about what was acceptable. Not allowing openly Stalinist organisations to infiltrate the Party /2

Acting against MPs and public figures who shared antisemitic material, or shared platforms with those who did. Taking action against bullies, harassers and racists who would make the lives of our members impossible in meetings and on social media /3

We even moved rule changes to force the Party to treat complaints about discrimination seriously. Discipline within the Party had always operated at that stage on the basis that any problem needed to be swiftly deal with and resolved immediately /4

But as we well know from countless examples, LOTO and the NEC were hostile to JC supporters, however bad their behaviour, being dealt with. Particularly if their antisemitism on display was a variety of antisemitism that they didnt agree with /5

A report was even commissioned by a leading human rights lawyer, that concluded much to our bemusement that there were no real issues with AS in the Party, but that systems and processes should be improved (including a lot more resourcing as had been the case) /6

Not that long after, and having taken Party membership at the start of the inquiry, said human rights lawyer would be appointed to the Lords, and take a role within the shadow cabinet almost immediately. Not particularly independent we thought /6

Hence the long fights over the definition of antisemitism that the Labour Party wanted to universally impose on the Jewish community and the Party, despite much protest - including from 'Trump Supporting Fanatic Rabbis' (so said someone *still* not dealt with) /7

Throughout the last 4.5 years we've been told we were lying. Weaponizing AS for our own ends. That AS wasn't a problem and only "invented". This attitude pervaded LOTO and the Party's response. They even invented organisations to undermine claims /8

So when we wrote our referral to the EHRC, we collated hundreds of examples of witness statements from members where no action had been taken. We pointed them in the direction of key individuals and scenarios that they should demand answers from and about /9

After the submission, LOTO and the Party continued to deny the problem, or engage with JLM and the Jewish community. NCC cases would continue to pile up without case files being prepared, whilst hundreds of cases seemed to disappear /10

The continued pattern of under resourcing GLU & NEC Disputes rejecting recommendations, as had been the case for years, continued. When it became clear through the sheer scale of conversations about AS that it was now impossible to deny, blame shifted to the NCC /11

The continued lies emanating out of the Party induced whistle blowers to come forward, and correct the record within the press. When it was clear many of the people we had identified in our EHRC referral wanted to come forward, we stared talking /12

70 whistle blowers later (including many who were staff & officials well beyond McNicol's tenure), and hundreds of examples, with documentary evidence, at the end of 2019 we submitted our 'closing argument' to the EHRC /13

I wont go over the key arguments. A redacted copy found its way into the press during the election campaign. It but a short summary of the overall argument made throughout the process of the EHRC's investigation /14

At the time, we wondered how the Party would respond. Clearly the document passed to @RaynerSkyNews seems to have been it. Instead of process complaints and case files for the NCC, it seems that someone commissioned (finally) an internal review /15

Which as most lawyers will tell you, seems to have come to the conclusions desired by those who did the commissioning. That whoever wrote it thought to end the introduction with the line "Never again" seriously needs to consider their life choices /16

I don't know whats in the report. But it does fit the pattern of behaviour we've come to know all too well on antisemitism. Action only happens when it is forced. And always under extreme duress. /17

The report seems to have been made public at this stage for a number of reasons: to undermine the cases of libel being brought against the Party for their disgraceful smears ahead of Panorma, as well as political cover for those now under scrutiny from new LOTO /18

All @JewishLabour have ever wanted is the truth, and for action to be taken against antisemitism. If this report is the 4.5 year late awakening of those with power to act, that they've always had a problem, then so be it /19

But some of the hot takes by the usual chorus of outriders, who seem to have forgotten everything that's happened over the last half decade are quite astonishing.
Two wrongs don't make a right. /ends