Some thoughts on the EHRC report into the Labour party, with the qualifier that I’m dosed up on pain meds….

The EHRC produced a strong, solid document. It shows that the issues Jewish people and others were highlighting as problems within the Labour party were, in fact, problems. Please read it.

Antisemitism is often pernicious and many still struggle to understand what it is. The EHRC report helps to clarify in several areas, especially on denialism. Please read it.

Reading it, I felt relief that Labour antisemitism has been handled seriously - but also frustration and disappointment that other minorities have not had complaints of racism taken as seriously. This is utterly wrong and has to change

(Here's a piece I wrote a few months back, about the EHRC not investigating Conservative Islamophobia https://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2020/august/conservative-islamophobia-and-the-ehrc)

It’s beyond frustrating to see Labour yet again descend into factionalism over this issue and thus torpedo the EHRC report. Corbyn’s statement yesterday was ill-advised, to put it mildly - and the party response to it equally so.

Finally, our media and political conversation on racism, including antisemitism, is absolutely woeful. It is fuelling misunderstanding and division and a climate in which it feels almost impossible to discuss these issues seriously or helpfully.