A JVL Statement

Followed by a Media Release



Posted 28 June at 11.38; updated at 13.19; 29 June

Jewish Voice for Labour welcomes the lifting of Chris Williamson’s suspension by the Labour Party and looks forward to the NEC’s ratification of the disciplinary panel’s decision.

Investigations into allegations against party members are made according to procedures which operate independent of the leadership and of the Parliamentary Labour Party. The fairness of the process is undermined by hostile, personal campaigns such as that being waged against Chris, who is a hard-working and diligent MP with great standing in his constituency and a strong record of anti-racist campaigning.

There is huge support for Chris within and outside the party and this has not been reflected by the media coverage of the story.

At a time of Tory crisis and when the population of this country stands in desperate need of a Labour government under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, aiming to unite people around protection and promotion of hard won rights and services, the party needs the dedication and principled commitment of Chris Williamson and others like him.

Media Release

Please circulate widely via your networks and social media.

Please also share the original statement on the JVL website above.



Jewish Voice for Labour condemns hostile, personal campaign against Chris Williamson

* Hostile attacks undermine fairness of Chris Williamson discipline decision

* Support for lifting Williamson’s suspension widespread but unreported

* Labour needs dedicated anti-racists like Williamson to defeat crisis-ridden Tories

Jewish Voice for Labour welcomes the lifting of Chris Williamson’s suspension by a Labour Party disciplinary panel and opposes moves to prevent its ratification by the National Executive Committee.

Investigations into allegations against party members are made according to procedures which operate independently of the leadership and of the Parliamentary Labour Party. The fairness of the process is undermined by hostile, personal campaigns such as that being waged against Chris, who is a hard-working and diligent MP with great standing in his constituency and a strong record of anti-racist campaigning.

There is huge support for Chris within and outside the party and this has not been reflected by the media coverage of the story.

At a time of Tory crisis and when the population of this country stands in desperate need of a Labour government under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, aiming to unite people around protection and promotion of hard won rights and services, the party needs the dedication and principled commitment of Chris Williamson and others like him.

“The decision to lift Chris Williamson’s suspension was made, as is proper, without intervention by the leader’s office,” said JVL co-chair Jenny Manson. “In the furore since there has been no recognition that this process is what critics of the leader have demanded, no considered analysis of what Chris Williamson said and as so often recently no sense of fairness and justice.”

NOTE FOR EDITORS

Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) is a network for Jewish members of the Labour Party dedicated to universal human rights and dignity; justice for all; freedom of expression; and democracy in the Labour Party. Inspired by the long history of Jewish involvement in socialist, labour movement, anti-fascist and anti-racist struggles, it aims to strengthen the party in its opposition to all forms of racism including antisemitism, broadening the party’s appeal to all sections of British society. JVL opposes attempts to widen the definition of antisemitism beyond its meaning of hostility towards or discrimination against Jews as Jews and works to build understanding of and opposition to genuine antisemitism as part of the wider campaign against all forms of discrimination.