Labour Drops Legal Action Against Corbyn-Era Staff

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The Labour Party has decided to cease its extensive legal proceedings against five former staff members from Jeremy Corbyn's tenure, including his ex-director of communications Seumas Milne and former chief of staff Karie Murphy. This move marks the end of a costly and contentious legal battle.

 

The quintet, accused of leaking a controversial report on the handling of antisemitism complaints under Corbyn's leadership, had consistently vowed to "vigorously defend themselves" in the High Court. The Labour Party had reportedly expended nearly £1.5 million up to October of the previous year on the case, with the total costs expected to be significantly higher, potentially reaching an additional £900,000 since last autumn.

 

The contentious 860-page report, leaked in April 2020 shortly after Sir Keir Starmer assumed leadership of the Labour Party, detailed the workings of Labour's governance and legal unit. The report asserted that there was "no evidence" of antisemitism complaints being managed differently from other types of complaints. However, it also included thousands of private WhatsApp messages between senior party officials, many of which were derogatory about Labour staff, members, and Corbyn-supporting MPs.

 

During Corbyn's leadership, the party faced numerous antisemitism complaints and accusations that senior officials were slow to act against members promoting such views. The leaked report exacerbated tensions within the party, as it revealed internal communications critical of Corbyn's allies and supporters.

 

Carter-Ruck, the legal firm representing the former staff members, issued a statement confirming the party's decision to discontinue its legal claims against Karie Murphy, Seumas Milne, Georgie Robertson, Harry Hayball, and Laura Murray on a "no order as to costs" basis. The statement also noted that the five individuals welcomed the resolution of the claims.

 

This costly legal battle had raised concerns among party members and officials, particularly regarding its potential impact on Labour's election fund. Mish Rahman, a member of Labour's National Executive Committee, criticized the case, describing it as "pointless and vindictive" and another example of Starmer's team targeting the left faction of the party.

 

A Labour candidate and former shadow cabinet member, who preferred to remain anonymous, echoed these sentiments, labeling the case a "huge embarrassment for the party" and criticizing the official appointed by Starmer to lead the case for wasting substantial sums of money that could have been crucial in key election seats.

 

A Labour Party spokesperson reiterated the decision to discontinue the legal claims, noting that the five former staff members welcomed the resolution of the claims. This decision brings an end to a protracted and divisive chapter within the Labour Party, allowing it to focus on future challenges and elections without the shadow of this costly legal dispute.

 

Credit: Sky News 2024-06-08

 

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[RayC]

Successive Tory governments have shown themselves unable to run the country.

 

Unfortunately, the Labour leadership's handling of various internal incidents, such as this, don't inspire confidence that it will do any better in government.