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Margaret Hodge: Veteran Jewish MP speaks of 'relief' ahead of long-awaited EHRC report into Labour anti-Semitism

Blast: Dame Margaret Hodge (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images): Getty Images
Blast: Dame Margaret Hodge (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images): Getty Images

Veteran Jewish MP Dame Margaret Hodge spoke of her “relief” today that the long-awaited report into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party is to be published after a year-long investigation.

Hopes are rising in Labour circles that the party will escape a verdict of “institutional racism” in tomorrow’s landmark findings by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

However, the party is braced for severe criticism of failures to root out anti-Semitic abuse under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, and expects to be presented with a series of recommendations for reform.

Speaking on the eve of the report, the Barking MP appealed to her party to unite and support Keir Starmer’s campaign to root out fanatics and change the culture of the party to one of more tolerance.

“I cannot describe the sense of relief that the report is finally being published and the hope that this is the beginning of the end,” said the 76-year-old, who was herself targeted with abuse and threats by hard-left extremists who claimed to be Corbyn supporters.

Dame Margaret Hodge (PA)
Dame Margaret Hodge (PA)

The EHRC announced it was investigating Labour in May 2019 after a series of scandals in which left-wingers who abused Jewish MPs were not expelled, amid claims that supporters of Mr Corbyn intervened to save them.

There was also a heated row over whether Labour would adopt the international definition of anti-Semitism.

Dame Margaret told the Standard: “Since Keir was elected, he has made all the right noises and he showed that he will take action when he removed Rebecca Long-Bailey from the shadow cabinet. Words are not enough, we have to act.

“I would urge every Labour member to grasp this as a moment when we come together and back Keir in the mammoth task he has of transforming our culture and rebuilding trust with the Jewish community.”

Ms Long-Bailey was sacked as shadow education secretary in June , after sending an approving tweet about an interview in which the actress Maxine Peake claimed the US police tactic of kneeling on someone's neck was taught by the Israeli secret service.

Dame Margaret said that last week’s row over comments by Unite union boss Len McCluskey, who said Peter Mandelson should “count his gold” rather than get involved in Labour, “just demonstrated how deeply anti-Semitism has been allowed to infiltrate the Labour Party’s culture”.

She said: “This was a senior Labour Party member who could not even apologise properly. What is required is really tough, determined and consistent action from the top to root it out, and then provide real education of what anti-Semitism means, challenging it and not tolerating it when it emerges.”

Sir Keir used his first video message on being elected Labour leader to pledge to rebuild trust among Jewish people. He was later praised by Jewish leaders for achieving “in four days more than his predecessor in four years”.

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