Gordon Brown to call for Labour to immediately expel members guilty of antisemitism

Labour must expel immediately any member guilty of antisemitism to prove it is willing to “act against abuses”, Gordon Brown will say in a hard-hitting speech tomorrow.

The former Labour prime minister will pile pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to toughen party processes, also telling him he “owes the Jewish community an unqualified apology”.

His intervention follows the furore over the decision last week to readmit Chris Williamson – a strong supporter of Mr Corbyn – despite him saying Labour had been “too apologetic” about antisemitism.

The party is also braced for further criticism in a BBC Panorama episode entitled ‘Is Labour antisemitic?’ next week – and is still under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

In his speech on Sunday, Mr Brown will call for a “radical change” of policy with automatic expulsion in any case where there is “irrefutable” evidence of antisemitism or another form of racism.

An expelled member should only have a right to appeal from outside the party and a Labour government should appoint a minister, backed up by an ambassador, to help with combating antisemitism across the globe.

“To the Jewish community, we promised ‘never again’,” Mr Brown will say, delivering the annual Isaiah Berlin lecture in London.

“We promised that the crimes of hatred, discrimination and persecution would never recur. We promised we would offer support and protection.

“But, at a time when attacks on Jewish schools have risen 100 per cent, attacks on or near Jewish synagogues 400 per cent and attacks are carried out on social media thousands of times over, we have not lived up to that promise.

“The Labour Party owes the Jewish community an unqualified apology. But that is only a starting point in rebuilding trust.”

The former prime minister, who left office in 2010, will urge Mr Corbyn to ensure Labour “call out antisemitism for what it is: racism, and, in this case, anti-Jewish racism”.

He will add: “Opposing antisemitism and every manifestation of racism goes to the heart of who we are and what we stand for as Labour.

“It’s about the moral soul of a party, whose most basic goal is a commitment to equality for all – not just for some who suffer oppression – but everyone.

“To fail to act against the abuses we have witnessed runs counter to the very principles of the Labour Party we joined.”

Mr Brown will also call on Labour to prepare for government by drawing up a broad strategy, including better education in schools and stronger laws against racism in all its forms.

The decision to end the suspension of Mr Williamson was condemned as “unbelievable” and “turning a blind eye to Jew-hate” by Margaret Hodge, a Labour MP and campaigner against antisemitism in the party.

The Derby North MP was swiftly re-suspended, following a furious backlash, but many MPs remain angry at the way the case was handled by the party.