“Since the Martin Forde report was released, little if anything has happened other than the Party machine had ruled out many left wing candidates in selections locally and nationally, often on the thinnest grounds.
Neal Lawson, Director of Compass
By Compass
On Monday March 20th, Martin Forde KC will make his first public appearance since the publication of his report into ‘toxic’ Labour factionalism.
Barrister Martin Forde published his damning report, which found Labour’s factionalism ‘undermined the UK’s democratic process,’ in July 2022.
The report was commissioned by Labour to investigate the party’s culture and practices following the leak of a document that exposed deep factionalism within the party.
Mr Forde was asked by Labour’s NEC to investigate the infamous 860-page leaked report into the Party’s handling of antisemitism, which was due to be sent to the EHRC.
It revealed ‘deplorably factional and insensitive, and at times discriminatory, attitudes expressed by many of the Party’s most senior staff’.
The Forde Inquiry sifted through thousands of pages of submissions to find ‘little evidence of mutual respect and a great deal of evidence of factionalism so deep-rooted that the Party has found itself dysfunctional’.
It found that ‘subtlety and nuance all but disappeared’ and concluded that antisemitism was used as a ‘factional weapon’ by both sides of the party.
Since the publication of the report many voices have expressed what they think the report says, with many claiming vindication. But Mr Forde has kept his counsel.
Meanwhile, we understand there has been no formal Labour response to the report or any recommendations actioned. Instead, the Labour leadership has done little to build a more tolerant and effective political culture within the party.
But Mr Forde is now due to make his first public appearance on Monday 20th March at an online event hosted by cross-party campaign group Compass to discuss his findings and recommendations – and where Labour finds itself today.
Martin will be joined by:
- Jennifer Nadel, Director of Compassion in Politics
- Francesca Klug OBE, human rights academic
- Daniel Levy, President of the US/Middle East Project
The panellists will examine how the Labours Party’s factional and short-term, centralised culture stands in the way of realising lasting progressive change. They will also reflect on our political culture, within parties and beyond them, following the publication of the Forde report.
Neal Lawson, Director of Compass, said: “Since the Martin Forde report was released, little if anything has happened other than the Party machine had ruled out many left wing candidates in selections locally and nationally, often on the thinnest grounds.
“If Labour HQ continues to lead with control and exclusion, instead of heeding the lessons of the Forde report it will become a narrow clique with no authentic claim or ability to build the new democratic and political settlement our country desperately needs.”
- You can sign up to attend the Compass event with Martin Forde: “Post-Fordeism: Party and Political culture in a perma-crisis age with Martin Forde and Ruth Lister” taking place on Monday 20th March at 6PM.
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