London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Ex-leadership let hate spread within Labour - Starmer

Ex-leadership let hate spread within Labour - Starmer

Labour's previous leadership allowed "hate to spread unchallenged", party leader Sir Keir Starmer has claimed.
In an address at London Labour's annual conference, he said work to tackle discrimination "never stops".

The party was plagued by antisemitism scandals under Jeremy Corbyn, with a 2020 report finding Labour to be in breach of the Equality Act.

The former leader acknowledged antisemitism in the party but said it was overstated for political reasons.

Mr Corbyn was suspended from Labour over these comments and readmitted a month later - although not to the parliamentary party. He continues to sit in the Commons as an independent MP.

Sir Keir said he would make tackling antisemitism - prejudice or hostility against Jewish people - a priority after taking over in 2020.

In Saturday's speech - which came a day after Holocaust Memorial Day - he said the issue had again been on his mind recently.

He pointed to wider changes that had been made within the party, accusing the previous Labour of being a "party of protest not public service".

But, speaking to around 600 supporters in the capital, he said there was no room for "complacency" if they hoped to win the next election.

Labour had to show it was "different to the party Britain rejected in 2019", said the MP for London constituency, Holborn and St Pancras.

The party was resoundingly defeated in that year's general election.

Antisemitism was generally not regarded as a big problem for Labour before Mr Corbyn's election as leader in 2015.

But, as the balance of power shifted within the party, attention focused on what activists and representatives had said about Israel and Jewish people.

There followed a string of high-profile suspensions over alleged antisemitic comments - and several high-profile MPs walked out over the way the scandal was handled.

Mr Corbyn repeatedly insisted that anti-Jewish hate would not be tolerated in the party, but faced accusations that he was not doing enough to root out the problem.

In 2020, a report by the UK's human rights watchdog found Labour to have been responsible for "unlawful" acts of harassment and discrimination during his four-and a-half year tenure.

Mr Corbyn expressed the hope that the report's recommendations would be "swiftly implemented", though said he did not accept all of the findings - comments which got him suspended.

In Saturday's speech, Sir Keir said the party's "commitment to fighting all forms of hate and discrimination never stops".

Sir Keir sought to draw other contrasts between his leadership and the previous one. He said he had shown he understood the importance of "sound money".

But he acknowledged that there were "good Labour things" that he could be unable to implement if he entered 10 Downing Street, owing to the UK's economic situation.

He attacked the Conservatives over crises within the NHS, and accused the Tories of "sticking plaster politics" that threatened to "destroy" the health service.

Government minister Oliver Dowden hit back at the Labour leader, saying his "empty slogans ring hollow", including over the economy.

The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster accused Labour of making unfunded spending promises and failing to "stand up to their union paymasters" amid widespread strike action.

Mr Dowden added: "Starmer is too weak and too indecisive to make the hard decisions needed to strengthen the UK.

"All Labour propose are the same old ideas, more spending and more borrowing - it's their one answer to everything."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
×