Monday, October 24, 2016
How independent was Labour's report into anti-semitism?
The report by Shami Chakrabarti into anti-semitism in the Labour Party continues to make waves with revelations in today's media that Jeremy Corbyn discussed giving the former director of Liberty a peerage with his team in March, and claims she was aware her name was listed before agreeing to conduct a Labour report into anti-Semitism.
The Telegrpah says that the Labour leader is understood to have long-listed Baroness Chakrabarti for an honour after he was made aware that new peers would be created by David Cameron following the EU referendum.
They add that Chakrabarti, who is now Labour's shadow attorney general, was added before she was approached to conduct a report into anti-Semitism. Labour sources have claimed to the paper that she was told this prior to the announcement on 29 April that she would chair an independent inquiry into anti-Semitism and other forms of racism in the Labour party.
Baroness Chakrabarti denies being made aware that her name was on a long-list before she was officially approached by Mr Corbyn in July and offered the peerage. However, commentators are saying that these latest allegations raise further doubts on the independence of her report.
The claims also bring into focus questions about Jeremy Corbyn's previous announcement that he would not create any more Labour peerages and why that pledge was so quickly abandoned in this one instance.
The Telegrpah says that the Labour leader is understood to have long-listed Baroness Chakrabarti for an honour after he was made aware that new peers would be created by David Cameron following the EU referendum.
They add that Chakrabarti, who is now Labour's shadow attorney general, was added before she was approached to conduct a report into anti-Semitism. Labour sources have claimed to the paper that she was told this prior to the announcement on 29 April that she would chair an independent inquiry into anti-Semitism and other forms of racism in the Labour party.
Baroness Chakrabarti denies being made aware that her name was on a long-list before she was officially approached by Mr Corbyn in July and offered the peerage. However, commentators are saying that these latest allegations raise further doubts on the independence of her report.
The claims also bring into focus questions about Jeremy Corbyn's previous announcement that he would not create any more Labour peerages and why that pledge was so quickly abandoned in this one instance.
