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30 April 2016

Jeremy Corbyn appoints Shami Chakrabarti to lead inquiry into Labour and antisemitism

“Labour is an anti-racist party to its core," says leader.

By Jonn Elledge

Jeremy Corbyn has announced plans for an independent inquiry into antisemitism in the Labour party.

The review – led by Shami Chakrabarti, the former director of the human rights campaign group Liberty – will consult with the Jewish community and other minority groups, and report back within two months.

Its vice chair will be the director of the Pears Institute for the Study of Anti-semitism, Professor David Feldman.

The move follows a week in which the party suspended Bradford MP Naz Shah and former London mayor Ken Livingstone, amid claims that both had made antisemitic remarks.

But Corbyn told the Guardian: “Labour is an anti-racist party to its core and has a long and proud history of standing against racism, including antisemitism. I have campaigned against racism all my life and the Jewish community has been at the heart of the Labour party and progressive politics in Britain for more than 100 years.”

He added that he would not see the results of next Thursday’s local elections as a reflection of his leadership, and insisted that he would not be held to arbitrary measures of success.

“I’m keeping going, I was elected with a very large mandate and I have a huge responsibility to the people who elected me to this position,” he said.

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