Tag Archive for: Ian Austin

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The biggest gathering against antisemitism in a century

Week after week, London has become a no-go zone for Jews. Until Sunday, when 105,000 of you – British Jews and our allies from across the country – assembled to #MarchAgainstAntisemitism. It was the largest gathering against antisemitism in a century.

Even with the full page ads in all of the major national newspapers, extensive publicity in the Jewish press, a one-hour call in programme with our Chief Executive on LBC last Thursday, and significant additional coverage in newspapers and on television and radio, the turnout still exceeded all expectations.

We were honoured to be joined by the Chief Rabbi Sir Efraim Mirvis and rabbinical leaders from across the movements; former Prime Minister Boris Johnson; Ministers Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat, Robert Halfon, Shadow Cabinet Minister Peter Kyle and numerous other MPs; peers including Lord Austin; actors Eddie Marsan, Dame Maureen Lipman, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Felicity Kendall; broadcasters Robert Rinder, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Vanessa Feltz and Trevor Phillips; historian Simon Sebag Montefiore; journalists Dan Hodges and Toby Young; the photographer and activist Laura Dodsworth; ambassadors and many more. Legions of public figures and social media influencers also attended and helped get the message out to millions, while our speakers expressed the demands of the moment and Israeli singer Rita and renowned cantor Jonny Turgel provided beautiful renditions of the national anthems and performed other songs.

The march was peaceful. The march was unthreatening. The march was different from all other marches that London has hosted in recent weeks.

So many of you have sent kind feedback and messages of thanks. But above all, your testimonials, some of which we shall be posting on our social media channels this week, have powerfully expressed the impact on you of weeks of surging antisemitism. There were a number of powerful testimonies from Jewish people on the march. Some revealed that they have not entered central London in almost two months, until Sunday, and felt relieved to be able to walk the streets of their capital city again. Others said how reassuring it was to finally be able to walk alongside so many other Jews and friends in safety. Others still related to us just how empowering it was to be a Jew, in open, once again, and how important it was to them to participate.

We wish to give particular thanks to those of you who travelled from far afield, some of you on coaches organised locally and others by public transport, sometimes leaving very early in the morning or staying overnight in hotels, because you rightly wanted your voice heard. Without you, this would not have been the truly national march that it had to be.

In addition, we are enormously grateful to those Jewish organisations and the non-Jewish groups that supported the march, which so many participants have told us was one of the most important Jewish events of their lifetimes. We could not have done it without that powerful coalition of organisations that stepped up when the Jewish community and its allies needed them.

We particularly wish to thank the Metropolitan Police Service for guarding the march, the CST for protecting us all with one of the largest ever deployments, and our many stewards who helped the march run so smoothly. Thank you for keeping us safe.

You can watch the full video of speeches here.

New Polling

We all felt that this march was essential. But now we can show empirically why it was so necessary. We can reveal to you the results of our survey of British Jews, which yielded the following alarming insights:

  • 69% of British Jews say that they are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism right now.
  • Almost half of British Jews have considered leaving the UK due to antisemitism, since 7th October.
  • More than six in ten British Jews have either personally experienced or witnessed an antisemitic incident since 7th October or know somebody who has.
  • Only 16% of British Jews believe that the police treat antisemitic hate crime like other forms of hate crime, with two thirds believing that the police apply a double standard.
  • A staggering 90% of British Jews say that they would avoid travelling to a city centre if a major anti-Israel demonstration was taking place there. Our urban centres have become no-go zones for Jews.
  • A full 95% of British Jews believe that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should report statistics on prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes.
  • 90% of the Jewish community believes that the British Government should proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir.

We will be discussing these extraordinary findings with relevant authorities.

Of our supporters more generally, 85% believe that the police do not treat antisemitic crime like other forms of hate crime, 97% agree that the CPS should report statistics on prosecutions of antisemitic hate crimes, and 92% believe that the British Government should proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir. (Unlike the survey of the Jewish community above, this supporters’ survey was not a representative poll.)

Thank you to everyone who participated in the surveys.

Last Saturday

Last Saturday may seem like an age ago, but it saw a very different type of march – the sort we have been seeing week after week. As ever, our Demonstration and Monitoring Unit was there. To see what they found, please watch the video.

Sunday’s march will not, on its own, stop the surge of antisemitism in its tracks. But because of you the voice of British Jews and our friends has been heard, and the march will amplify the impact of all of our work in the coming weeks, as we continue to do everything we can to hold the authorities to account and defend the Jewish community.

Image credit: Campaign Against Antisemitism/Stuart Mitchell

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Parliamentary inquiry into BBC bias against Jews announced followed calls by JC, backed by CAA

A Parliamentary inquiry into the BBC’s bias against Jews has been announced.

It comes following calls for such an inquiry by the JC and a petition, prompted by growing communal concerns regarding the Corporation. Campaign Against Antisemitism backed the JC’s calls.

The inquiry’s secretary will be former Labour MP Lord Austin, who bravely stood up against antisemitism in the Labour Party and is also an Honorary Patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

He wrote: “Members of both houses [of Parliament] have told me they are concerned about the BBC’s reporting on issues around antisemitism and Israel, especially after the Ofcom report. That is why we have established this inquiry.

“Our inquiry will be wholly impartial and rigorous and will simply aim to produce a report that offers expert guidance and recommendations for the corporation to address when it comes to antisemitism and Israel, the handling of complaints and the ‘culture of defensiveness’ identified by Ofcom.”

He was referring to Ofcom’s recent decision censuring the BBC for its “serious editorial misjudgement” over its abominable coverage of the antisemitic incident on Oxford Street last Chanukah, attacking the BBC’s failures over the course of “eight weeks” which were “causing significant distress and anxiety to the victims of the attack, and to the wider Jewish community”.

In response to that coverage, Campaign Against Antisemitism held a “BBC News: Stop Blaming Jews!” protest outside the BBC’s headquarters at Broadcasting House, which was endorsed by Lord Grade and Dame Maureen Lipman.

Other members of the inquiry’s panel include Labour peer Lord Turnberg, former Labour minister Lord Triesman, Conservative peer Baroness Eaton, former BBC Governor Baroness Deech and Baroness Fox.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The launch of this inquiry, after a campaign led by the JC, is a critical step in bringing much-needed accountability to the BBC. The broadcaster’s biases were put under scrutiny by Ofcom, but they have been present for many years, manifested in partial and prejudiced coverage, advancement of controversial narratives, platforming of inflammatory pundits, and repeated dismissal of antisemitism complaints. That is why we have been at the forefront of efforts to hold the BBC to account, and why we supported the JC’s call for this inquiry.”

Polling that we conducted in 2020 for our Antisemitism Barometer revealed that two thirds of British Jews were deeply concerned by the BBC’s coverage of matters of Jewish concern, and 55% by its handling of antisemitism complaints. It is likely that these figures would be even higher if polled today.

Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].

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University of Bristol confirms investigation into Prof. David Miller over antisemitic statements following condemnation by MPs and Jewish groups, including CAA

The University of Bristol has confirmed that it has opened an investigation into Prof. David Miller following antisemitic statements by the controversial academic.

Prof. Miller, a conspiracist whom Campaign Against Antisemitism has been monitoring for years, recently added to his record of inflammatory comments about the Jewish community with the assertion that “Zionism is racism” and a declaration that his objective is “to end Zionism as a functioning ideology of the world”. Most egregiously, he also suggested that Jewish students, by virtue of being Zionist, “encourage Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism”.

Prof. Miller’s comments and the University’s reaction have been the subject of a great deal of attention from the Jewish community as well as Parliament, including a written question by Lord Austin, an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been providing ongoing support to students at Bristol.

Now, the University of Bristol has confirmed that it is investigating Prof. Miller. In a statement, the University said: “We can confirm that the University has already initiated an investigation into this matter.  The investigation is being carried out in accordance with the University’s internal process and, as we have explained in a previous statement, that process is confidential.  In particular, it is not appropriate for the University to make any comment on this matter while the investigation we have referred to is underway.

“Our freedom of speech policy underlines the vital importance of the right of staff and students, as members of a free and democratic society, to speak openly without fear of censorship or limitation, provided that this right is exercised responsibly, within the law, and with respect for others who may have differing views.

“The University’s clear and consistently held position is that bullying, harassment, and discrimination are never acceptable.  We remain committed to providing a positive experience for all our students and staff, including by providing a welcoming environment for Jewish students, and to fostering good relations and an inclusive University community.”

Binyomin Gilbert, Programme Manager at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “David Miller is a conspiracy theorist who believes that Bristol’s Jewish Society and the entire nationwide Jewish student body ‘encourage Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism’. His teachings have been going on for years with no action taken despite deep ongoing concerns for the safety of Jewish students at Bristol University.

“You do not need to be a member of the Jewish community to understand that this crank conspiracy theorist has no place in academia. We are pleased to see that the University has opened an investigation and await the results. In the meantime, we will continue to provide support for Jewish students on campus and take steps to ensure their wellbeing.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities.

If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].

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CAA calls on Sandwell Council and Dudley Council to take action against current and former council leaders after Labour opens antisemitism investigations

Campaign Against Antisemitism has called for “strong and decisive action” against the Leader of Sandwell Council and the former leader of Dudley Council after it emerged that the Labour Party is investigating them over antisemitism.

Cllr Yvonne Davies, the current Council leader at Sandwell, is being investigated over tweets she sent in 2018, one of which promoted a petition calling for a parliamentary debate over whether Israel has an “improper influence” over British politics, a notion reminiscent of historically popular claims of excessive Jewish power in national politics. In another tweet, Cllr Davies linked to a story titled “Is Israel’s hand behind the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn?”, alongside which she commented: “This makes interesting reading if anyone is wanting to understand where all this emphasis on Labour and antisematism (sic) comes from…”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis” is an example of antisemitism.

A complaint regarding Cllr Davies submitted to Labour reportedly accuses her of “breaching Labour’s social media policy”.

Cllr Davies reportedly commented: “I do retweet stuff that I probably shouldn’t, but I do not have an antisemitic bone in my body. I have a career of tackling discrimination and unfairness and I would certainly not consider that people who are Jewish have any influence at all over matters that we deal with in society. Whether countries do, and clearly Russia, China, Israel…a lot of countries get involved in stuff for political purposes…but I don’t relate that to anybody’s religion and I think anybody that does is making a big mistake. This is about politics, it’s not about religion at all. Certainly I will be careful in future about what I retweet, because clearly I’m aware that there is a lot of sensitivity around this issue and that things can be taken out of context.”

In Dudley, Cllr Pete Lowe, a former leader of the council, former parliamentary candidate and former Labour candidate for West Midlands Metro Mayor, posted a tweet purporting to shop historical maps of Israel, which he shared in order to criticise the dismissal of Rebecca Long-Bailey from the Shadow Cabinet for sharing an article that contained the antisemitic conspiracy theory. The picture was accompanied in the tweet by a caption from Cllr Lowe reading: “No words of explanation….just in case! #RebeccaLongBailey #LabourParty”. The tweet was subsequently deleted.

Ian Austin, the former Labour MP for Dudley North who quit over antisemitism in the Party, described the tweets as “completely unacceptable”. Mr Austin is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The suggestion that Israel has an ‘improper influence’ in British politics and is ‘behind attacks’ on Jeremy Corbyn is totally unacceptable. The idea that the Jews – or the Jewish state – have outsized influence in national affairs is an infamous antisemitic trope that has no place in political parties or on a local council, let alone coming from the Leader of the council. Both the Labour Party and the council must take strong and decisive action. Those defending Rebecca Long-Bailey’s promotion of an antisemitic conspiracy theory, be they MPs or local councillors, must also be brought to book. At a time when so many are showing solidarity against racism, it is appalling that some individuals in Labour continue to defend or indulge in antisemitism.”

Meanwhile, in Greenwich in London, the Leader of the Council has reportedly referred a fellow Labour councillor to the Party over a series of tweets promoting the controversial group Labour Against Witchhunt” and defending Ms Long-Bailey. Cllr David Stanley reportedly promoted a petition in the form of an open letter to Mr Corbyn, who was then Leader of the Labour Party, worrying that “any criticism of the actions of the state of Israel is now immediately conflated with antisemitism” and “a cynical alliance between those who wish to deflect criticism of Israel and Zionism, and the right-wing in the Labour Party and the news media, who oppose your wider politics.” Cllr Stanley also apparently retweeted posts with the hashtag #IStandWithChrisWilliamson, in reference to the disgraced former Labour MP, Chris Williamson.

Cllr Stanley said: “I have always condemned antisemitism in the strongest possible terms, and fully supported Greenwich council signing up to the full [International Definition of Antisemitism]. I have no time for antisemitic conspiracy theories, but recognise that criticism of the state of Israel can sometimes be wrongly conflated with antisemitism. I support a fair and rigorous procedure for those Labour members who are subject to disciplinary measures due to alleged antisemitic comments.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism calls for action against these three councillors both by the Labour Party and by their own local authorities.

On 28th May 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

In the first release of its Antisemitism in Political Parties research, Campaign Against Antisemitism showed that Labour Party candidates for Parliament in the 2019 general election accounted for 82 percent of all incidents of antisemitic discourse by parliamentary candidates.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Antisemitism Barometer 2019 showed that antisemitism on the far-left of British politics has surpassed that of the far-right.

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.

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Michael Gove: Jeremy Corbyn wanted to “smuggle into our political conversation antisemitic expressions and antisemitic tropes”

Michael Gove, the Conservative frontbencher, has accused the leader of the Labour Party of trying to “smuggle into our political conversation antisemitic expressions and antisemitic tropes.”

Mr Gove made the remark at a reception in Westminster for the Mainstream UK group co-founded by the former Labour MP and honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, Ian Austin, who quit the Labour Party in disgust at its institutional antisemitism.

Mr Gove, who serves as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, observed, however, that the British people rejected Mr Corbyn’s views and what those “acting in his name had argued for.” Mr Gove praised Mr Austin’s “bravery” and lamented that the term ‘Zionist’ “has come to be used as a term of abuse. We can see the way in which anti-Zionism has mutated, so anti-Zionism has become the new antisemitism.” He noted that “in the past you could be Jewish in the ghetto, or you could be Jewish but had to suffer disability under the law,” and that “more recently, antisemitism has taken a new form. That new form is to say that that expression of Jewish identity…either has to be removed or Israel has to survive on terms set by others.”

He also warned the audience, which included the BBC presenter Andrew Marr, that Mr Corbyn’s retirement as Labour leader did not mean that “toxicity” would not persist in the Party, and also that “in the same way as some choose to stigmatise and vilify the Jewish community, there are others who are equally willing to use stereotypes to vilify other people who are British, who are our friends and neighbours.”

The cabinet minister added: “What we must do when confronted with hatred and prejudice is stand four square against it. Put whatever political boundaries we have to one side.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism advocates for zero tolerance of antisemitism in public life. To that end we monitor all political parties and strive to ensure that any cases of concern are properly addressed.

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CAA congratulates Ian Austin on winning “Backbencher of the Year” award

The former Labour MP Ian Austin, who resigned from the Party over antisemitism, has won a “Backbencher of the Year award” at The Spectator’s annual Parliamentarian of the Year awards last night.

As the son of a Holocaust refugee whose entire family was slaughtered by the Nazis in the Treblinka extermination camp, Mr Austin’s upbringing instilled in him a firm sense of justice and the determination to fight bigotry wherever he saw it. As an MP, he led a successful campaign to drive the far-right British National Party out of his Dudley North constituency, and then served as a leading figure in the fight against antisemitism that has taken hold in the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn, ultimately resigning from the Party in disgust earlier this year.

During this year, Mr Austin also helped found a new campaign called Mainstream, which is “designed to encourage a return to respectable and responsible politics, and to banish extremism from British politics once and for all.”

CAA congratulates Mr Austin, whom we are proud to have as one of our honorary patrons, on this highly deserved accolade.

On 28th May 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

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John McDonnell falsely claims Ian Austin’s criticism of Labour antisemitism and Jeremy Corbyn was because he’s “employed by the Tories”

Campaign Against Antisemitism is disgusted at suggestions by Labour frontbencher John McDonnell that Ian Austin, who quit the Labour Party over antisemitism and recently gave a series of interviews criticising the Labour leader over antisemitism and extremism, did so because he is “employed by the Tories”.

Mr Austin, who is the adopted son of a Holocaust survivor and an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, is a Government trade envoy to Israel, a cross-party, unpaid, voluntary position unconnected to the Conservative Party. Last week he gave a series of interviews in which he claimed that Labour is “poisoned by anti-Jewish racism”.

Mr McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “What else do you expect him to do in an election campaign when employed by the Tories? You speak on behalf of the Tories. That’s what this was about this morning.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism deplores the suggestion that Mr Austin’s concerns about antisemitism in the Labour Party are motivated by greed or desire for money.

On 28th May, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Ian Austin is a “hero of the Jewish community” as he declares “Labour is poisoned with anti-Jewish racism” and announces he will not seek re-election

The former Labour MP Ian Austin, who resigned from the Party over antisemitism, has given a series of powerful interviews this morning condemning antisemitism in the Labour Party and announcing that he will not be seeking re-election.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Austin, who is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, was asked if his decision to leave the Labour Party and stand down as an MP was “personal”. In response, he explained: “I joined the Labour Party as a teenager in Dudley. I was a councillor there in my twenties, I worked for the Party and for the Labour Government in my thirties, and I became an MP and a Government minister in my forties, so this has been my life. This has been my life.

“I can’t really believe it’s come to this,” he said, “but I’ve got to be honest with people: I think that Jeremy Corbyn is unfit to lead the Labour Party. I think he’s certainly unfit to lead the country.”

Asserting that only two individuals can be Prime Minister the day after the election, Mr Austin remarkably declared: “I’ve sadly come to the conclusion that it can’t be Jeremy Corbyn,” and endorsed the Conservative Party Leader instead.

Visibly emotional, Mr Austin pointed out that he “could just disappear off back to Dudley, never say a word, keep quiet — but I think people in politics have got to stand up and tell the truth and you’ve got to do what you think is right, however difficult it is.”

In support of his decision, Mr Austin asserted that Mr Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell, have spent their careers in politics “working with, defending, supporting all types of extremists, including antisemites,” and backing genocidal antisemitic terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hizballah, whom Mr Corbyn has described as “friends”.

Mr Austin insisted that he has “thought about this long and hard,” and said: “But most shameful of all…you know under his [Mr Corbyn’s} leadership a political party with a proud record – a long history – fighting for equality, fighting racism, has become poisoned with anti-Jewish racism and it is a complete and utter disgrace, a complete disgrace.”

Earlier in the morning, Labour frontbencher Rebecca Long-Bailey was asked to respond to similar remarks by Mr Austin that he had made earlier still. She belittled his concerns as simply emerging from differences with Mr Corbyn on matters of policy, and insisted that although Labour had been slow to act on antisemitism, it had now instituted suitable processes and would in time win back the confidence of the Jewish community.

To this Mr Austin responded: “There’s no way they’ve dealt with this, and some of the people they’re selecting as candidates, even over the last few days, have said and done things which are unacceptable, and Jeremy himself by the way has said and done things which are antisemitic.”

Emphasising that “I’m not a Tory” and that “I’m not a Conservative. This isn’t where I wanted to be,” Mr Austin said that his decision today “has been the toughest thing.”

He proceeded to emphasise that antisemitism is an “institutional problem” in the Labour Party, observing that former Labour MPs Luciana Berger and Dame Louise Ellman were “chased out of the Party by racists” and they also “tried to target Margaret Hodge,” another female Jewish MP.

Mr Austin noted that Labour is the first party in history to be subjected to a full statutory investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. That inquiry was launched on 28th May following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

He also reminded viewers that almost nine out of ten British Jews believe Mr Corbyn is antisemitic, and said: “You’ve got to ask yourself: if a political party has caused such offence and distress to one of Britain’s communities, whose side are you on? Whose side are you on? When it comes to racism, I know what my responsibility is. This is a basic question of what’s right and what’s wrong. I think this is a really fundamental issue, and if you’re not going to stand up and tell the truth and do what’s right on something like racism, what are you going to do it on? What are you going to do it on?”

Anticipating that good friends of his who are standing as Labour candidates will feel betrayed and upset, and that some lifelong friends may not speak to him again, he declared that “in politics you’ve got to face up to tough decisions and do what you think is right.”

Asked whether he was abandoning others who have chosen to stay in the Labour Party and fight, Mr Austin replied: “I didn’t leave the Labour Party to join another Party. I didn’t do that in February. I left to shine a spotlight on what’s happening in the Party. And to demand other people step up and do something about it. And I’ve been fighting about this and arguing about this…people have said to me: ‘Ian you’ve got to stay and fight’. I said: ‘where’s the fight? You want me to stay and fight you’d better start fighting.’ I didn’t walk away from this fight.”

Mr Austin recognised the culpability of his erstwhile Party and colleagues: “This has happened on our watch. We have a responsibility for this. I can say it’s nothing to do with me and walk away from it all, but in the end, we’ve allowed this to happen in the Labour Party and we’ve got to take responsibility for it. And I do not want him [Mr Corbyn] to do to the country what I think he’s done to the Labour Party.” He also pointed out that he has launched a new organisation to combat extremism in politics.

Speaking of Mr Corbyn, Mr Austin concluded: “I think the Labour Party has been poisoned with extremism, intolerance, and antisemitism under his leadership,” adding: “It’s heartbreaking. I think what’s happened to the Labour Party is heartbreaking.”

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Ian Austin is truly a hero of the Jewish community and upstanding people everywhere. He is an inspiration to Jews and others who also once called the Labour Party their political home but who cannot remain in the Party under its antisemitic leadership. When it comes to integrity, Ian has few rivals, and we join him in mourning the Labour Party that was.”

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 57,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Just seven percent of Jews would consider voting for Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour

A new poll suggests that as little as seven percent of the Jewish community would consider supporting the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership in the next general election.

This was an even lower figure than the thirteen percent support that the Party registered in a previous poll ahead of the 2017 general election.

The new poll, carried out by Survation for the JC, showed that 42 percent of Jews would consider voting for the Labour Party under new leadership.

Ian Austin MP, an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism who quit the Labour Party over antisemitism, said: “This poll shows the shameful extent to which the Jewish community –  which traditionally showed strong support for Labour – has been alienated by the racism which has poisoned the party under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. Six times as many Jewish people would vote Labour with a different leader – so even if moderate MPs won’t get rid of him because it is the right thing to do, you’d have thought they would at least do it for electoral reasons.”

Survation questioned 766 self-identified Jewish residents aged over eighteen between 19th September and 14th October.

On 28th May, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

In recent months, thirteen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 55,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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“Sanctimonious hypocrite” Corbyn told to “sort your own house out first” before calling out racism in football

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of being a “sanctimonious hypocrite” after he called on UEFA to “do far more to tackle this kind of abuse”. Mr Corbyn made the comments following England’s match against Bulgaria on 14th October, which was interrupted twice as a far-right contingent of Bulgarian fans made Nazi salutes and chanted horrific racist abuse at minority English players.

Ian Austin MP, who quit the Labour Party over antisemitism and is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, called out Mr Corbyn for daring to demand action by others on racism while presiding over antisemitism in his own Party. Mr Austin said that “someone who has seen the Labour Party poisoned by racism” under Mr Corbyn was in “no place to say this”, adding that Mr Corbyn should “sort your own house out first, you sanctimonious hypocrite.”

In a similar display of hypocrisy last week, Mr Corbyn was pictured with fellow Labour Party frontbencher, Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Emily Thornberry, at a Show Racism the Red Card (SRRC) panel at Arsenal. SRRC describes itself as an anti-racism educational charity and appears to focus on discrimination and hate towards Black and Asian communities in the UK. It does not appear to offer resources on antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism supports all anti-racism efforts, but regrets that SRRC chose to fete an antisemitic leader of an institutionally antisemitic party that is under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

On 28th May, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

In recent months, twelve MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 55,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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Ian Austin MP launches blistering attack on “extremist” Corbyn for “working with and defending antisemites”, joined by Ivan Lewis MP

Ian Austin MP, who resigned from Labour in protest at antisemitism within the Party earlier this year, delivered a passionate indictment of the Labour leadership in a speech in Parliament yesterday, branding Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party’s leadership “extremists”.

Standing amongst Labour MPs on the opposition benches, Mr Austin said: “I left the Labour party to shine a spotlight on the disgrace it’s become under his [Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s] leadership…I regard myself as proper, decent traditional Labour, not like the extremists who have taken over this Party and are dragging it into the mud…These are people [Mr Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell] who spent their entire time in politics working with [and] defending all sorts of extremists, and in some cases terrorists and antisemites…They always back the wrong side, whether it’s the IRA, Hamas and Hizballah, whom they describe as ‘friends’.”

As Labour MPs heckled him and told him to stop sitting with them, Mr Austin continued: “No previous Labour leadership would have allowed a Party with a proud history of fighting racial prejudice to have been poisoned by racism, which is what’s happened under these people — racism against Jewish people, to the extent that members have been arrested on suspicion of racial hatred, that the Party itself has become the first in history to be investigated under equalities laws by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. These people, and the people around them, are a million miles away from the traditional, mainstream, decent politics of the Labour Party. They have poisoned what was once a great party with extremism. They cannot be trusted with the institutions that underpin our democracy. They are completely unfit to lead the Labour Party, let alone our country.”

Mr Austin was joined by another former Labour MP, Ivan Lewis, who also resigned the Labour Party whip over antisemitism. Mr Lewis added his condemnation of Mr Corbyn, saying: “He does not have the leadership skills required at a time of so many challenges facing our country, and his leadership has led to the party of anti-racism and equality becoming the party of institutionalised antisemitism, so much so that a majority of Jews in this country feel that they would not be safe in the event of his becoming Prime Minister.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism commends Mr Austin, who is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, and Mr Lewis, for their righteous condemnation of the Labour leadership, which now presides over an institutionally antisemitic party. The Labour Party cannot be a force for good whilst it is in the hands of Mr Corbyn and those around him.

On 28th May, the EHRC launched a full statutory investigation following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.

In recent months, twelve MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party over antisemitism, along with a large number of MEPs, councillors and members.

Over 55,000 people have now signed our petition denouncing Jeremy Corbyn as an antisemite and declaring him “unfit to hold any public office.”

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CAA honorary patron Ian Austin becomes eleventh MP in the past six months to quit the Labour Party over its institutional antisemitism

An honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism, Ian Austin, has become the eleventh Labour MP to resign from the Labour Party in the past six months.

Mr Austin’s resignation follows the departure of seven Labour MPs on Monday over antisemitism: Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker and Ann Coffey, followed by the resignation of former Labour MP Joan Ryan two days later. Together, they have formed The Independent Group of MPs. Previously, former Labour MPs Frank Field and Ivan Lewis also resigned over antisemitism in the Labour Party but they have not joined The Independent Group, and nor has Mr Austin.

As the son of a Holocaust refugee whose entire family was slaughtered by the Nazis in Treblinka extermination camp, Ian Austin’s upbringing instilled in him a firm sense of justice and the determination to fight bigotry wherever he saw it. As an MP, he led a successful campaign to drive the far-right British National Party out of his Dudley North constituency, and he has been a leading figure in the fight against antisemitism that has taken hold in the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn.

In an interview with the local newspaper of his Dudley North constituency, the Express and Star, Mr Austin said: “I am appalled at the offence and distress Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party have caused to Jewish people. It is terrible that a culture of extremism, antisemitism and intolerance is driving out good MPs and decent people who have committed their life to mainstream politics. The hard truth is that the party is tougher on the people complaining about antisemitism than it is on the antisemites…I think Jeremy Corbyn has completely changed what was a mainstream party into a completely different party with very different values.”

Mr Austin has always campaigned against antisemitism as a matter of conviction and conscience. We are proud that he is one of Campaign Against Antisemitism’s honorary patrons and proud of the strong message that he has sent out today.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has referred the Labour Party to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is now due to decide whether to open a full statutory investigation into antisemitic discrimination and victimisation within the Party.

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Labour MPs Dame Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin become honorary patrons of CAA

The Rt Hon. Dame Margaret Hodge MP and Ian Austin MP have today become honorary patrons of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Their appointment is a demonstration of the very considerable gratitude felt by the Jewish community for their uncompromising and principled stance against antisemitism in society and in politics.

Throughout their parliamentary careers, as well as in recent days, both Dame Margaret and Mr Austin have confronted antisemitism without fear or favour.

Dame Margaret’s parents and Mr Austin’s father were refugees from the Nazi onslaught. Their families taught them how antisemitism had transformed seemingly-civilised European society into the society which committed some of mankind’s most appalling crimes, and instilled in them a firm sense of justice and the determination to fight bigotry wherever they saw it. As MPs both Dame Margaret and Mr Austin led successful campaigns to vanquish the far-right British National Party in their respective constituencies of Barking and Dudley North. Both are now facing disciplinary action by the Labour Party for remonstrating with the Party’s leadership about antisemitism that has now become rife in the Party.

Dame Margaret and Mr Austin join other public figures as honorary patrons of Campaign Against Antisemitism, including Sir Eric Pickles, Lord Mitchell, Lord Ahmed, Lord Carey, and Baroness Deech.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has been at the forefront of the fight against the far-right, successfully lobbying for National Action to be the first far-right group to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation, privately prosecuting a neo-Nazi YouTuber, and successfully taking the Crown Prosecution Service to judicial review over a decision not to prosecute a neo-Nazi leader. The charity has also taken a leadership role within the Jewish community in standing up to antisemitism in the Labour Party, including organising major demonstrations outside Labour Party Headquarters and in Parliament Square, as well as filing three disciplinary complaints against Jeremy Corbyn.

Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Dame Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin are rightly seen as heroes by the Jewish community for bravely facing their own Party and calling out the antisemitism that is rife within it. They are being persecuted by the Labour leadership in an apparent purge, simply for standing up to antisemitism. Appointing them as honorary patrons of our charity is our way of thanking them for showing solidarity with the Jewish community, in the best traditions of the Labour Party of old.”

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Labour’s purge continues, as Ian Austin MP faces disciplinary proceedings over his angry opposition to antisemitism in the Party

Labour MP Ian Austin, who has prominently fought against antisemitism in the Party, has been told that he faces disciplinary proceedings over his angry comments over the Party’s steadfast refusal to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism, instead concocting its own version.

According to The Observer, Mr Austin was told that he faced disciplinary proceedings the day before an identical warning letter was sent by the Party to Dame Margaret Hodge, who is being investigated for calling Jeremy Corbyn an “antisemite and a racist”.

Mr Austin, whose adoptive parents were Jewish Holocaust refugees, is being investigated for “abusive conduct” after remonstrating with Labour Party Chairman Ian Lavery in Parliament. According to The Mail on Sunday, Mr Austin said that the Party’s refusal to adopt the definition was a “bloody disgrace” and that the Party had become “a sewer”. Like Dame Margaret, he has been warned that if he repeats the “behaviour” during the investigation, he may be suspended.

Campaign Against Antisemitism notes that after years of failing to deal with cases like that of Jackie Walker, the Labour Party seems to be moving fiercely to investigate critics from within its own ranks who have called it out over antisemitism.

The Jewish community has given the Labour Party every possible opportunity to veer from the path it is on, but in defiance of British Jews and even his own MPs, Jeremy Corbyn has doggedly dragged the once anti-racist Labour Party into the depths of racism. By trying to redefine antisemitism his way, Jeremy Corbyn has left no doubt that he is the leader of an antisemitic institution, and he is perfectly happy with that. The Labour Party should be abandoned by all decent people.

We are seeking to recruit a Communications and Research Manager a School and Campus Educator to join our London office

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Campaign Against Antisemitism is a volunteer-led charity dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law. Everything that we do is done by people who volunteer their time, using donations contributed by members of the public. Join the fight against antisemitism by subscribing to our updates, volunteering, or donating.