Labour antisemitism: Party plunged into chaos as top lawyer quits role

Labour’s response to the ongoing row over antisemitism in the party has been thrown into chaos after its top lawyer stepped down from his role, The Independent has learned.

Gordon Nardell QC, hired by the party last year to help tackle the crisis over anti-Jewish abuse, has been a key figure in overseeing its response on the issue.

His role included coordinating Labour’s response to an inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into how the party has handled antisemitism.

The party will now be forced to find a replacement at short notice.

Sources suggested Mr Nardell’s departure was linked to an upcoming episode of the BBC programme Panorama, which is said to contain further damaging allegations about antisemitism.

A senior Labour source said the documentary had the party leadership “running around in panic”.

One Labour MP said they understood Mr Nardell had been warned that it would be impossible for him to return to his career as a barrister if he remained with Labour much longer, given the “reputational damage” he faced.

Mr Nardell declined to comment, but his legal chambers, Twenty Essex, said it was “delighted” to welcome him back full-time from next month after his time with Labour.

A spokesperson for the Jewish Labour Movement said: “Gordon Nardell’s tenure as General Consel will be remarkable only for the absolute chaos and political manipulation within the Governance and Legal Unit that took place on his watch.

“The party leadership’s total failure to address anti-Jewish racism has led to the EHRC launching a statutory investigation into institutional racism following JLM’s referral. It is unsurprising that he has now resigned.

“The leadership must be held accountable for the culture of harassment, intimidation and causal racism that has gripped the Party, and follow Nardell’s example.”

Labour appointed Mr Nardell as its barrister last year to offer legal advice in the row over alleged anti-Jewish abuse in the party, which has rumbled on for three years.

In May this year, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) launched a formal investigation into whether Labour “unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people” from the Jewish community.

The equality watchdog was pushed to act after receiving a number of complaints about Labour’s handling of allegations of antisemitism within its ranks.

The party said it would cooperate fully with the investigation and it rejected any suggestion that it did not handle complaints “fairly and robustly, or that the party has acted unlawfully”.

The long-running row flared again earlier this week as Labour activists and MPs called for suspended left-wing MP Chris Williamson to be kicked out of the party.

The decision to allow Mr Williamson back into Labour at the conclusion of a four-month disciplinary inquiry caused widespread anger.

He had claimed the party had been “too apologetic” in tackling anti-Jewish abuse in its ranks.