To tackle antisemitism, the complaints system MUST be independent.

Peter Mandelson has dismissed the recommendation of an effective complaints system.

The irony of the Labour left being accused of disobeying or dismissing the EHRC antisemitism report, when it’s one of New Labour’s fiercest cheerleaders, Peter Mandelson (a man without a Labour bone in his body) who has questioned the acceptability of an independent system to tackle complaints.

Why ever would this be? Put simply, a genuinely independent system of the kind recommended would survey and look at these things in a non-factional, apolitical way. Peter Mandelson doesn’t like that because it means he and his cronies can’t weaponize the painful issue of antisemitism to attack the left, because it’ll be being handled separately from Starmer and his team.

The awful issue of antisemitism cropping up on the left continues to be factionalised. Double standards are held as to what part of the party you hail from, and the leadership has intervened and commented on decisions. Jewish socialists, and other good leftwing members are being suspended or expelled for requesting Corbyn have the whip reinstated.

Now as ever is a good time to point out the EHRC report made clear members have a right to free speech on the scale of antisemitism or nature of it in the party; an independent system built off that would presumably recognise this and put a stop to this authoritarian crackdown on the left.

How do you guarantee the shattering of a cross factional consensus on strengthening party procedures around tackling anti-Jewish bigotry? You isolate, abuse, and expel parts of the left that by any standards haven’t committed or spoken genuine antisemitism, and have merely disputed or questioned decisions taken or items of the report.

Solidarity to Jewish Labour party members who have essentially been weaponized as part of this factional trench warfare initiated by the leadership.

And solidarity with Jewish socialists being expelled for speaking out about their views or experiences, and receive hideous abuse and accusations of being “self-hating Jews” a demonstrably antisemetic trope. Shame on Keir Starmer.