Labour’s ruling body is expected to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in full and issue a clarification emphasising the right to non-racist free speech when discussing Israeli politics.

The national executive committee (NEC) will discuss antisemitism on Tuesday and, while the principle of adopting the IHRA definition with all its 11 examples is expected to be agreed, the precise form that the clarification will take has yet to be resolved.

Jeremy Corbyn is expected to attend the crucial meeting at a time when Labour is under intense pressure to get on top of the antisemitism row that has dogged the party over the summer and has increasingly become a test of his leadership.

Party sources said it was felt that some of the IHRA examples were unclear and could stifle legitimate criticism of the Israeli government, in particular the example of antisemitism it gives of “claiming that the existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavour”.

The party wants to be clear that it would be possible for Labour members to argue there should be a one-state solution in the Middle East – even though that is not official party policy – without being accused of antisemitic behaviour.

On Tuesday morning rival groups of protesters gathered outside the venue. A chant of “Jeremy Corbyn out” was drowned out as those loyal to the Labour leader sang their “oh Jeremy Corbyn” refrain. Placards waved by members of groups including Jewish Voice for Labour and Momentum highlighted the plight of the Palestinians and warned against curbing freedom to condemn Israel.



Jewish Labour organisations said they would wait and seewhat sort of clarification the NEC would sign up to, although there is frustration among many that antisemitism is being linked to what they argue is a separate foreign policy question about Israel and Palestine.

Backbench critics of Corbyn repeated calls for the NEC to adopt the IHRA definition in full. Stephen Kinnock, the MP for Aberavon, who has previously called for Corbyn to take more action over allegations of antisemitism in Labour, said the NEC should be wary of issuing new clarifications.

“I think that the NEC should simply adopt the full IHRA definition and all of its examples,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “I don’t personally think that now is the time to be putting in additions and qualifications. That’s pouring more fuel on the fire, and that’s the last thing we should be doing right now.”

Kinnock said he hoped this action would be followed by a “massive programme of training for our membership”, and a speech by Corbyn at this month’s Labour conference that showed remorse over the issue.

“There’s a huge amount that needs to be done, not just with words but with actions, to show that the leadership has listened to and understood the concerns of the Jewish community,” he said.

John Mann, the Bassetlaw MP who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on antisemitism and is a vocal critic of Corbyn, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the problem had been an attempt by Labour to “mess around with a very humdrum, mundane definition of antisemitism that left parties across the world have been happy to accept along with everyone else”.

But Chris Williamson, the Derby North MP, and a close Corbyn ally, insisted the row was overblown. “It’s been alleged that Labour hasn’t accepted the full IHRA definition. We have accepted the full IHRA definition. The argument is about examples,” he told Talk Radio.

Some of the examples “fetter free speech”, Williamson said, adding: “Jewish academics have said these examples are not fit for purpose.”

Last week, Geoffrey Robertson QC, the leading human rights lawyer, said that some of the 11 examples were so loosely drafted that they were likely to deter criticism of action by the Israeli state and advocacy of sanctions as a means to deter human rights abuses in Gaza. “A particular problem with the IHRA definition is that it is likely in practice to chill free speech,” he wrote in an opinion piece.

The NEC meeting begins at lunchtime on Tuesday and will be held at the party’s Southside headquarters in Victoria, central London. According to the agenda, only half an hour has been set aside to discuss the topic before the party’s democracy review, but party insiders said they expected the debate to last considerably longer.

It is not yet decided who will propose adopting the code or the clarification, and no paperwork was circulated to NEC members overnight. The body has about 40 members, representing all parts of the party, including MPs, party members, trade union representatives and local government.

The centre-left group Progress called on Labour’s NEC to endorse the IHRA definition in full with “no caveats, no compromises”. Richard Angell, the director of Progress, said he would be concerned if it was “watered down” with “a ‘free speech’ clause that would amount to a ‘right to be racist’ in certain circumstances”.

Senior Labour figures have been signalling for days that the IHRA definition will be adopted. Over the weekend, John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said the NEC would accept the code overall but also make a “commitment to the freedom of speech and, yes, a recognition of the rights of Palestinians”.

Some critics of Corbyn have said agreeing to the IHRA definition with all its examples will not be enough to end the row. Margaret Hodge, a leading critic of Corbyn over antisemitism, said she believed “the moment had passed” to restore trust in the party leader over the issue.

Corbyn has repeatedly said he “will not tolerate antisemitism in any form”, but has had to clarify what he meant when he in 2013 accused a group of British Zionists of having no sense of irony. He has said he was using the term Zionist in its “politically accurate sense”.

The NEC meeting is also scheduled to discuss proposals put forward by the democracy review, including reducing the required threshold of parliamentary Labour party votes – widely seen as a way of ensuring that leftwing candidates can in future make it on to the final ballot.

As part of that, it will also look at ways of increasing diversity among Labour members and discuss replacing its national policy forum so that ordinary members have more say in party policies.

There may not be a vote among members on the democracy review, but the issues could come before the NEC again on 18 September, before they are voted upon at party conference in Liverpool at the end of the month.