Starmer was pressed earlier on the fact that the EHRC found a specific example of the Labour leader’s office under his predecessor interfering in a complaint relating to comments by Jeremy Corbyn about a mural featuring antisemitic tropes.
Before referring to the mural, the EHRC report stated: “We have concluded that this practice of political interference was unlawful. The evidence shows that staff from the Leader of the Opposition’s Office (LOTO) were able to influence decisions on complaints, especially decisions on whether to suspend someone.
“Sometimes these decisions were made because of likely press interest rather than any clear formal criteria.”
Citing an example of such interference, from April 2018, it referred to Corbyn’s alleged support for the mural.
It said that in an email to the party’s governance and legal unit (GLU) responsible for handling complaints, LOTO staff said that the complaint should be dismissed, stating that: “The complaint itself seems to fall well below the threshold required for investigation and if so surely the decision to dismiss it can be taken now.”
The report said that LOTO staff “amended and approved the GLU’s written response to the complainant to include details on Jeremy Corbyn’s actions in relation to the mural.
“LOTO staff therefore directly interfered in the decision not to investigate in this case.”
In a Facebook post in 2012, Corbyn had offered his backing to Los Angeles-based street artist Mear One, whose mural, featuring several known antisemitic tropes, was due to be removed after complaints.
Mear One said on his Facebook page: “Tomorrow they want to buff my mural Freedom of Expression. London Calling, Public art.”
Corbyn replied: “Why? You are in good company. Rockerfeller [sic] destroyed Diego Viera’s [sic] mural because it includes a picture of Lenin.”
The then Labour MP Luciana Berger had raised the issue with Corbyn’s office after screenshots of the Facebook post emerged.
Luciana Berger
(@lucianaberger)The response from the Spokesperson is wholly inadequate. It fails to understand on any level the hurt and anguish felt about Antisemitism. I will be raising this further.
Corbyn’s office had subsequently released a statement in which he said: “I sincerely regret that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on, the contents of which are deeply disturbing and antisemitic.”
