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Labour pays damages to anti-Semitism whistleblowers

As Labour agrees to pay damages to former staff who sued the party in an anti-Semitism row, Keir Starmer made it clear this week the party is β€œunder new management”.

Jeremy Corbyn is facing potential legal action after he claimed that Labour’s decision to apologise and pay damages to antisemitism whistleblowers was a β€œpolitical decision, not a legal one”.

The Labour party agreed to pay damages and apologise to former staff who had criticised the then Labour leader’s handling of complaints.

The party also issued β€œunreserved” apologies to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ broadcaster, John Ware, who presented ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Panorama’s documentary 'Is Labour Anti-Semitic?’.

Party officials alleged that senior figures close to the leadership at the time had interfered in the process of dealing with anti-Semitism complaints. They also claimed they had faced a huge increase in complaints since Jeremy Corbyn became leader in 2015.

Labour leader Keir Starmer made it clear last week that the party is β€œunder new management”. Can the party now move on from its internal war over anti-Semitism?

Emily Maitlis is joined by the claimants’ solicitor, Mark Lewis, Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge and former adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, James Mills.

Policy Editor Lewis Goodall reports.

Release date:

Duration:

17 minutes