Barnet Labour councillor, Kath McGuirk, has spoken out against delaying Labour Party rule changes that tackle anti-semitism proposed by the Jewish Labour Movement and nine constituency Labour Parties, including Finchley & Golders Green, at this year’s Labour Party Annual Conference. The proposed rule changes would make it easier to expel members of the Labour Party found guilty of anti-semitism and other forms of racism, but the Labour Party NEC have delayed having the issue debated – probably until next year’s Conference.

In her speech at the Labour Party Conference yesterday, Cllr McGuirk said: “The review undertaken by Shami Chakrabarti this summer on anti-Semitism in our Party, although criticised by some as a whitewash, did highlight that there are still issues that need to be addressed. There are still concerns expressed within our Party. “We do need to make it clear that discrimination of any kind is unacceptable in our Party, in our country, and in the world at large. We need to show the way as our Party and we need to do it now not next year.

“This is why my Constituency Labour Party, Finchley and Golders Green, along with the Jewish Labour Movement and another eight constituencies submitted constitutional amendments on this very subject. “We were therefore exceedingly pleased when Jeremy Corbyn attended a hustings in North London and publicly agreed that this would be taken at Conference this year. Sadly this does not seem to be the case. “We absolutely must oppose bigotry and discrimination. We need to act without delay. The rhetoric is fine. I urge a rethink now. Actions speak louder than words. We must move now.”

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