I am mystified by the vituperative response of some readers to your editorial on the Equality and Human Rights Commission concluding its monitoring of Labour after its investigation into the party and antisemitism (Letters, 21 February).
If they have read the EHRC’s report, they will be aware that, of about 220 complaints that it received via two campaigning organisations, it found unlawful conduct in only two individual cases. In these it held the party responsible for alleged antisemitic statements made by members labelled as agents of the party. The two members are seeking to challenge these findings in the high court.
Two other findings were made of indirectly discriminatory practices by the party. One was of interference by the leadership in the investigation of complaints in a manner adversely affecting Jewish members. The recent report commissioned by the party from Martin Forde KC and three Labour peers questions this finding. The remaining finding was that the party’s inadequate training of its staff was unfairly detrimental to Jewish complainants. The Labour party chose not to challenge any of the EHRC’s conclusions, though it had the right to do so, and accepted its recommendations for improvements in its arrangements for investigating complaints.
The EHRC report makes no criticism of Jeremy Corbyn.
Geoffrey Bindman
Highgate, London
