Lord Mann and Dame Louise Ellman

Antisemitism is an insidious cancer that has afflicted the Jewish people throughout the ages. After the atrocities of the 20th century, one would not have expected a resurgence within the seat of democracy, British parliament.

But in recent years this virus has gained prominence at the centre of British politics.

On 15th October the UKAJLJ held a webinar entitled Antisemitism in British Politics Today, chaired by Sir Michael Burton, the outgoing Chairman of the Committee. We were honoured to have as our guest speakers Lord Mann, a former Labour MP who now sits in the House of Lords as a cross bencher, and in 2019 was appointed as the government’s advisor on antisemitism, and Dame Louise Ellman, Chair of the Labour Friends of Israel and vice president of the Jewish Leadership Council. Both were politicians of long-standing, and staunch supporters of the Labour party. Both resigned from the party after what they observed as a fundamental failure to address numerous incidents of antisemitism, and the failure by the executive to deal with them.

Lord Mann, who is not Jewish, spoke of  those failures, the cause and effect, and the steps that could be taken to combat antisemitism. Dame Louise Ellman spoke of her personal experiences of antisemitism that occurred within her Liverpool constituency, the abysmal treatment meted out to her because she is Jewish, and the woefully inadequate way it was handled by the executive.

The talk was followed by both speakers answering questions, and Jonathan Lux gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the Committee of UKAJLJ.