As someone who is both black and Jewish, Labour’s antisemitism crisis has been uniquely distressing. Traditionally the anti-racist party in British politics, Labour has always made me feel safe and secure as a black woman. But as a Jewish woman, I have felt increasingly alienated, unwanted and threatened, resulting in me cancelling my party membership in 2017. After years of failure in rooting out antisemitism – a recent example being Chris Williamson’s re-admission to the party – when I heard of Jeremy Corbyn’s “No Place for Antisemitism” initiative this weekend, I immediately felt cynicism and distrust. It was to my surprise, then, that after exploring the website, I found a renewed sense of hope. For the first time since 2017, I had been given a reason to think that Labour can be better.

Labour has now released statements and materials that actually feel sincere, measured, and compassionate

I am not naive; Labour’s track record on addressing antisemitism has been inadequate to say the least. Its sense of victimhood, rather than focusing on the interests and concerns of Jewish people, has resulted in not only alienation and abuse directed at Jews, but also civil war within the party. From accusations of “political axes to grind” to allegations of a smear campaign, it was clear that certain sections of the party were choosing victim-blaming over accountability. However, for the first time, Labour has now released statements and materials that actually feel sincere, measured, and compassionate. The website, clearly created in consultation with Jewish people, is different to the usual dogmatism and promises of reform which are never fulfilled. This, in combination with speeding up the expulsion of antisemites from the party, represents a marked shift from the inertia of the past.

What struck me first of all about the initiative is its existence at all; I have yet to see a major political party commit so publicly – and produce a formal, targeted initiative – to root out racism. Racism is festering on all sides of the political spectrum, particularly within the right, with far-right nationalism on the rise. Indeed, one need only look at the government, a party consistently embroiled in racism – don’t forget the “Go home” vans or the Windrush scandal – and about to select a leader who has made blatantly racist comments, to see how sorely initiatives like this are needed in the political sphere. Labour’s campaign, coming out of the midst of one of the darkest periods in the party’s history, should be a lesson in British politics, and trigger a trend that proactively roots out racism.

What is now refreshingly clear, is Labour’s admission of fault and accountability. It acknowledges some of the worst examples of antisemitism in the party. On video (albeit one produced in 2018), Corbyn apologies for “the hurt that has been caused to many Jewish people”, and recalls the long connection between Jewish people and the Labour party. This is vital for Jewish people to contemplate trusting the party again, especially with a man like Boris Johnson about to become prime minister.

Jeremy Corbyn ramps up plans to expel antisemites from party Read more

What also stands out is Labour addressing the way in which people use the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Zionism, to hide their antisemitic views. Labour recognises the historical and religious importance of Israel and Jerusalem for many Jewish people, and why the matter should be treated with sensitivity and respect. It acknowledges that advocating for the destruction of Israel, and the removal of its Jews, is antisemitic, also describing the fear it causes Jews after systematic persecution over millennia. Vitally, it states that Zionism is not racist, and that Zionism and Palestinian liberation are not mutually exclusive terms. It is passages like this that give me a sense of optimism about Labour’s future.

Of course, it is indisputable that Labour has taken far too long to get to this point, and nothing will undo the years of pain caused to the Jewish community. However, Labour is finally demonstrating sincere and tangible action, and is doing it in a way that not only tackles it in its own party, but also serves as a lesson to others. I now have reason to believe Labour can be better: for the many and the Jew.

• Nadine Batchelor-Hunt is a former president of the Cambridge University Black and Minority Ethnic Campaign