#026 The Labour Party Leaked Report into Antisemitism (2020)

‘The Work of the Labour Party’s Governance and Legal Unit in Relation to Antisemitism, 2014–2019'

3 min readDec 9, 2020

In 2020 a leaked internal report made by figures in the Labour Party, into antisemitism, revealed that Labour Party staff actively worked against Jeremy Corbyn and a Labour Party election win in 2017, misused funds, deliberately failed to investigate allegations of antisemitism, to damage the then Labour leadership, used violent and abusive language towards members with mental health issues and bullied & abused BAME MPs and other senior elected figures in the party. An independent investigation has been commissioned since this report came to light.

https://ia802902.us.archive.org/10/items/theworkofthelabourpartysgovernanceandlegalunitinrelationtoantisemitism201420192020/The%20Work%20of%20the%20Labour%20Party%E2%80%99s%20Governance%20and%20Legal%20Unit%20in%20Relation%20to%20Antisemitism%2C%202014%20-%202019%20%282020%29.pdf [unredacted]

Analysis and views on the contents of this report are below,

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/i-saw-inside-how-labour-staff-worked-prevent-labour-government/

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/leaked-labour-report-should-have-been-explosive-scandal/

https://novaramedia.com/2020/04/12/its-going-to-be-a-long-night-how-members-of-labours-senior-management-campaigned-to-lose/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-5250581

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-leak-report-corbyn-election-whatsapp-antisemitism-tories-yougov-poll-a9462456.html

https://novaramedia.com/2020/05/07/senior-labour-figures-hoped-to-suspend-the-2015-leadership-election-says-leaked-report/

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/labour-leaks-report-antisemitism-racism-diane-abbott-butler-a9468521.html

https://novaramedia.com/2020/06/20/labour-suspensions-over-leaked-antisemitism-report-include-former-senior-official-emilie-oldknow/

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-top-labour-officials-plotted-bring-down-corbyn

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/labour-antisemitism-forde-inquiry-leaked-report-what-happening

The Labour Party’s ruling body, the NEC, appointed a four-person panel to investigate the leaked internal report, lead by Martin Forde QC.

Martin Forde QC (leading ‘urgent independent investigation’)

“The NEC has agreed that the investigation should endeavour to deliver its report by the middle of July [2020]”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/01/labour-appoints-panel-to-investigate-leaked-report-on-staff

UPDATE 1 (Feb 2021) :

Most ex-officials suspended over leaked report have been readmitted to the labour party.
https://labourlist.org/2021/02/ex-officials-suspended-over-leaked-report-have-been-readmitted-to-labour/

UPDATE 2 (Feb 2021) :

“The chair of the Forde Inquiry looking into the ‘Labour leaks’ report has announced that its conclusion is now delayed indefinitely as it has “recently been made aware” that the Information Commissioner’s Office is investigating the same leaks…”
https://labourlist.org/2021/02/forde-inquiry-report-delayed-indefinitely-chair-tells-labour-general-secretary/

UPDATE 3 (Sept 2021):

Labour is set to name and accuse five former party staffers, Seumas Milne, Karie Murphy, Georgie Robertson, Harry Hayball and Laura Murray, of leaking the report above.

https://labourlist.org/2021/10/exclusive-labour-to-name-and-accuse-five-ex-staffers-of-leaking-internal-report/

UPDATE 4 (Jan 2022):

The Forde Inquiry change their story, they now claim they never said the report would not be published until ICO had completed its work, as ICO was “only one factor in the delay in publication”.

For this reason, despite the ICO still investigating, the Forde report will be provided to Labour’s NEC in full, implying the ICO investigation never had any impact on whether the Forde report could be delivered to the Labour Party. ..