Dawn Butler: Labour needs to do better, and the Forde report is the opportunity

Dawn Butler writes that Labour's response to the inquiry findings was not good enough

ACTION: Dawn Butler says Labour must act on the Forde report

IN APRIL 2020 I was notified by party staff that I was mentioned in a leaked internal report from Labour Party HQ.

This leaked report would lead to an establishing of an independent investigation called the Forde Inquiry.

The leaked report revealed that senior staff in the Party HQ had apparently mocked me for raising issues of racism within the Party.

I often had a feeling that my concerns were not being taken seriously, but was afraid to say in case I was seen as paranoid. But seeing it written down in black and white, being mocked by senior members of staff within the party made me feel sad and let down.  

The Forde Report, now published, is a thorough and considered piece of work that vindicates my stance: the party did and does have an ongoing problem.

As the Forde Report says: “there are serious problems of discrimination in the operations of the party”.

This is not easy to acknowledge. I understand the resistance, but it is vital to acknowledge if we are to improve and move forward as a Party. We need to be our best selves as we get ready to govern the country. 

Proud

Don’t get me wrong, the Labour Party has often been at the forefront of tackling racism, we have more ethnic minority MPs than ever and in 2007, I became the first black woman minister to speak from the despatch box in the House of Commons.

The Labour Party should be incredibly proud of this historical moment.  But that shouldn’t lead to complacency, and it definitely doesn’t mean the fight against racism and discrimination is done.

The reality is despite the Parliamentary Labour Party being the most diverse party, the Conservatives have been able to encourage a diverse range of candidates to lead their party and defacto become the Prime Minister.

The Labour Party needs to do better, and the Forde report gives us an opportunity to be better. 

It wasn’t just me who was derided in the leaked report. My colleague Clive Lewis was also discussed in deeply offensive and derogatory ways by senior party staff, but worst of all Diane Abbott – Britain’s first black woman MP – was abused in terms that have no place in the Labour Party.

Martin Forde QC was frank about these “expressions of visceral disgust, drawing (consciously or otherwise) on racist tropes, and they bear little resemblance to the criticisms of white male MPs elsewhere in the messages.” 

Priority

Other MPs and senior staff were mocked in grossly misogynistic terms by this same group of senior party workers.  

Miraculously, these staff members remain Labour Party members and some are working in senior positions in the Labour movement.

Forde does not comment directly on this but says poignantly, “we note the recent cases of members of the police being sanctioned as a result of sharing material in WhatsApp groups.” Does the Labour Party have a greater tolerance for bigotry than the Met Police? 

It would lead some to question whether the Party only believes in zero tolerance in some cases of discrimination and not others. Forde does question it and unfortunately concludes the party is “operating a hierarchy of racism or discrimination with other forms of racism being ignored. For a Party which seeks to be a standard bearer of progressive politics … this is an untenable situation.” 

It is not just anti-black racism which appears to be a lower priority, the Labour Muslim Network – representing Muslim members in the party responded: “It is difficult to read this report and reach any other conclusion than there being institutional Islamophobia within the Labour Party.” 

Complaints

And that is the other key point made by Forde. The Labour Party HQ does not operate as Forde argues it should with “expected neutrality … serving in effect as the party’s civil service”.

The whole disciplinary proceedings are a factional tool – and so any form of discrimination can be accused depending on the perpetrator and their factional allegiance. 

As Forde states, “factionalism had played an important and destructive role in the Party’s mishandling of antisemitism complaints”. The system remains far from independent, which to be fair I had said would be the case, but it’s clear that this system is far from fair and far from even-handed. 

So, I was disgusted when I saw a quote from a Labour Party spokesperson, claiming, “The Forde Report details a party that was out of control. Keir Starmer is now in control and has made real progress in ridding the party of the destructive factionalism and unacceptable culture that did so much damage.”

This is a completely nose-blind statement and it is disappointing to all of us who want to make the party a safe space for all.  

This triumphalist, “it was all the last lot” ignores two vital findings of the report: firstly, Forde documents how factional the HQ team was that Jeremy Corbyn inherited as leader, “by 2015, the majority of the Party’s senior staff did not see their roles as requiring perfect neutrality, or even the appearance of it”  

And secondly, Forde sends a message to the current leadership insisting, “we do have continuing concerns – in particular, in relation to the use of lengthy administrative suspensions”, adding “further reform of the party’s disciplinary system is required”.

Jeremy Corbyn made mistakes and I am surprised that Keir and his team seem set on repeating the same mistakes.   

It is important to note that racism isn’t ended by a change of leader, and neither is factionalism. It requires hard, pain-staking cultural challenge – an acknowledgement of the problem and an open mind committed to real and lasting cultural change.

It takes a commitment for all to examine their own behaviours and biases.  

The aftermath of the Forde Report should have been a moment to reflect and to learn. Instead, in true Labour Party fashion, the leadership has made it a factional issue and sidelined the racism in all levels of the Party structure that the report uncovered. 

It is just not good enough. I know many MPs and members feel the same as me, and we will do that work to make our Party better. I just hope that the leadership take the report and my initial response seriously and there’s not a repeat of the ridicule when I previously raised concerns.  

Comments Form

16 Comments

  1. | Chaka Artwell

    What has Labour’s response been to the huge disparity of African-heritage pupils who are expelled from school in Labour controlled Local Authorities?
    Labour supported the persecution of the single charity Kidz Company in 2015, that provided practical assistance to London’s vulnerable and delinquent African-heritage youth.

    Kidz Company was based in Camberwell, but the Rt Hon Harriett Harman MP did nothing to replace the sterling and desperately needed charitable work of Kidz Company; or assist the African-heritage youth whose life descended into chaos as a result of the Home Affairs Selected Committee persecution of Kidz company. The Home Affairs Select Committee was chaired by Labour.
    Labour’s London MPs has watched idly by whilst over 250 African-heritage youth have descended into fatal delinquency; knife, and gun, and gang violence in mainly Labour controlled Local Authorities.

    Labour MPs were silent and completely ineffective whilst over eighty Caribbean-heritage national endured three years of persecution before they were arrested and illegally deported to the Caribbean in 2018.
    The main problem with the Marxist inspired LABOUR Party is that far too many African-heritage voters uncritically vote Labour during General Elections and Local Authority Elections.

    It is time for Her Majesty African-heritage voters of London and England to change their voting habits away from Sir Kier Starmer’s middle-class Labour party; that takes African-heritage voters for granted.

    Reply

  2. | tony greenstein

    Dawn says ‘the Labour Party has often been at the forefront of tackling racism, we have more ethnic minority MPs than ever and in 2007’. The 2 are NOT the same.

    Most of the Black and ethnic minority MPs are Uncle Toms. Which one’s of them voted against the 2014 Immigration Act that introduced ‘hostile environment’ and the Windscale tragedy?

    David Lammy, Chuku Ummuna and indeed all of them bar Dianne Abbot voted to abstain at Ed Miliband’s instigation. Just 5 Labour MPs voted against – Corbyn etc.

    Most Black Labour MPs are USELESS right-wingers. Why do you think they are any better than right wing White MPs?

    Lammy and Ummuna were of course ardent supporters of Apartheid Israel. It’s your politics at the end of the day not the colour of your skin.

    Is there anymore disgusting MP than Khalid Mahmood? Supporter of Hindutva and more besides?

    We need socialist MPs, including Black MPs. I except Dawn Butler from these strictures though she too went along with the fake and false ‘antisemitism’ attacks on Palestinian supporters in the Labour Party

    Reply

    • | Jay

      After all these attacks on labour by the extreme left, demonstrates why labour would never run the uk. The marxist are your problems .
      The best place for these marxist is to all go and join respect

      Reply

  3. | Andrew

    Great piece. The party can never heal until Corbyn is reinstated. As he was factually true in his apology. The membership has been hounded and on a biased one sided way.

    Reply

  4. | john P reid

    andrew- Corbyn was suspended for a different kind of racism anti Semitism another inquiry found that and he denied the findings this is like saying that if i denounced the forde findings was suspended and then because the EHRC found anti Semitism, i should be re instated for a different kind of racism in a different inquiry

    Reply

    • | Angela

      The “other” report stated that Labour was NOT institutionally racist, and Corbyn did not deny the findings, he pointed out that many allegations were a factional, right wing attempt to undermine his leadership and this is accepted as true in the Forde Report. Perhaps you should read things you wish to quote from, that way you might avoid making yourself look factional yourself. Also, racism is racism, full stop. There should be no hierarchy of racism as exists in Starmer’s Labour.

      Reply

  5. | ben waters

    Dawn, I heard Starmer’s response. It was basically that Forde refers to Problems that happened under J C’s leadership, I’m in charge now, and things are different. So you have to realise that KS will take no action, and will ignore what you say. So the question is, what to do about that?

    Reply

  6. | Brenda Green

    I’ve lost all faith in the party with Keir Starmer at the helm. Young people are turning away after all the hard work Jeremy Corbyn and co put in. Starmer doesn’t connect with youth, unions and most of the public in general.

    Reply

  7. | Sam Louis Gisagara

    I was personally implicated in the Forde enquiry but never saw anything in the report reflective of what I have suffered under watchful eyes of both wings of the Left and the Right in the Labour Party.
    The Labour Party inder both leadership of the mistaken attitude of, Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Keir Starmer, is in essence to ignore any racism directed at members of based on the colour of thier skins because in the Hierarchy of the Labour Party Black Lives Dont Matter at all.

    Reply

  8. | Aruna kabba

    All this past issue with Mr JC4PM times labour mps and others voters upset about stupid games rascis and others areas political parties leaders should respect each other loves each other black or white what is our goal to win the general election the same thing happened local authorities election votes labour party won more areas that makes we filling that the general election votes is out time to win we have the worst results 2020 I filling sick in my mind please let us forget about the past as tory government mps lies to them slef and voters before can’t votes for them cuts on everything past ESA back payment from 2018 they are lieing to paying the sick people money the MP of the DWP refuse to say the true just lies they have paid lots of vonorabuls there back payment trying to fool people with 150 tax rebate lots of UC sick people don’t get the payment the local private sector landlord taking the tax rebate and the tenant is not getting the money south Hall and Eiling council are working with the landlords and tenants disability girls boys and others don’t give it the loans government gave to vonorabuls people to buying households and others 2yrs I am applying for the grant no ways I report damps licking from 2019 the housing associations nothing hill gueness housing associations poor service and killed lot of old disband people with poor service and get full rent from the government it’s bad news I use my disibilty pip money and ESA to repeir the flat sent proofs of damps licking to both sides housing associations and council complaint services brent council no Deal I even report to councilor Tariq past meeting about the poor service and others issue in the summit court residents parking space big problem cleaning services is going better than before I am asking the labour party leader to take steps on it sickly people back payment from Incapacity to PIP decision biggest problem with tory government VS DWP VS all sickly people in the UK they can’t win with all this 2×4 game

    Reply

  9. | Andrea Hayes

    I agree with Dawn completely.

    As a member I made numerous formal complaints about racism, harassment, bullying and misogyny within my CLP. NOT just against me personally but also directed at MANY others. Some of whom were made ill by the treatment that was metered out to them.

    It took almost a year to get any response, then I finally was told they were very busy with AS complaints and it would be some time before my issues would addressed or even acknowledged – heiracy of racism writ large, and when my complaints were finally addressed only EC members were interviewed…. none of the CLP members who were witnesses to incidents and I was told to stop making notes at meetings! That was the result of complaints about racism….oh and the findings were to remain confidential and disciplinary action would follow if not adhered to….victimise the victims!!!

    We even had to write a motion to force being able to set up a BAME forum….. and then two white EC members tried to help us set it up!

    None of this is an issue to me any longer because I’m no longer a member of the Party –
    not willing for money out of my pockets to be used to fund the wages of the machine that drives all of this nonsense.

    However, what is clear, is that the thousands of members and supporters like me who have left or been driven out of the Party are not merely going to rejoin and sign up for more of the same hostility to ‘get the Tories out’.

    There has been barely any acknowledgement from the Party and no plans for making changes and ensuring this doesn’t happen again….. so WHY and HOW can anyone expect activists and supporters to just shrug and jump on board the dysfunctional train again….. Yes the Tory government needs to go…. but not to be replaced by another model of the same inept nonsense that was endured since Corbyn was selected as Leader. You can’t just tell people to stay and fight or,…. we need to get the Tories out and you need to sign up to that.

    Truth and reconciliation is required… call it that or call it something else, but if the Party doesn’t bother and simply carries on with business as usual; Corbyn in a state of limbo, members suspended or prevented from standing for positions and so on and so on, the Tories will win again, maybe with a smaller majority, but I personally won’t be voting for a Labour Party that tells me to stay in my place.

    Reply

  10. | DAZZA

    Black people need to form there own parties. Which deal with Issues at Local and National Level. Heck Black people are the Majority in Leicester, Birmingham and London.

    However things are still geared towards white people. Once Black people unite and take control of local government. Then Black people can make things happen for there communities.

    Reply

  11. | Alan Marsden

    The knew Al Jazeera documentary series clarifies the true nature of Starmer’s Labour. Episode two is exceptionally damning about the abuse over 50 Jewish members have suffered under Starmer.

    There is a hierarchy of racism but it is complex. Anti black and anti Islamic racism seems rife. The over-protection of Zionists and the persecution of pro-Palestinians are blatant. Labour under Starmer/Evans is a toxic enterprise which has no place in government. It is Orwellian in character and execution. Vote Green.

    Reply

    • | LeroyKwarme

      “Black people need to form there own parties.”

      Political parties based solely on ethnicity? Yeah Works wonders in African countries.

      “Which deal with Issues at Local and National Level. Heck Black people are the Majority in Leicester, Birmingham and London.”

      Black people make up just over a million in London with population of just over 8 million! Black people make up 8% of population in Birmingham and near on 8% in Leicester…Good luck with that.

      “However things are still geared towards white people.”

      How? Please name one law that systematically discriminates. I can name several policies commonly found in education and recruitment that does actually discriminate against White people. Lets not forget Britain has always been an overwhelmingly White country. In fact only since end of WW2 has it been anything but 99% White! Be that as it may, I cannot think of anything that systematically targets Black people in Britain right now, other than the mindset of many Black people.

      “Once Black people unite and take control of local government.”

      Like a militia?

      “Then Black people can make things happen for there communities.”

      Evidence of this? Black people are in government and have been in government and Ive seen nothing change! Are you talking 100% Black control, name one country in the world where that has made any difference at all! All just as corrupt and all just as self serving! Wanting to only line their own pockets but the people keep repeating the same cycle and hope for change!

      What too many Black people fail to grasp is that we live in a classist society! Always have been. When Black people first arrived here in significant numbers we was at the bottom and were targeted….What we failed to understand is that Whites and other ethnic groups were already targeted! Look at history in this country, look how White people at the lower end have been treated, if you honestly think Work Houses and working the working class men in to the ground prior to any reform in employment rights (which have since started to recede in recent decades), only to then force them off to wars that benefit a tiny percentage of this country is somehow a privilege then YOU are a part of the problem!

      There are more poor White people in the UK than the entire number of population of non-White people in the UK. All I hear is “its about percentage” no its not, each person in poverty is a life in struggle! If I see a Black child or a White child in poverty I see a failure of a society to provide for our most vulnerable and to secure its future!

      When all ethnicities understand that the establishment wants to equal everyone to zero below them, that is when real change will occur. When we all understand that the working class united together can make change, thats when we will make change. True socialism!

      This whole primal mindset of connecting only through skin pigmentation is just as outdated as the one drop rule or any archaic idea that belongs to the history books!

      If Black people still cling to this, we will achieve nothing! Absolutely nothing! And if White people numbers collapse to a minority guess what, we will have to contend with Asian people with the exact same mindset of “looking after only [insert Asian group]” and then guess what, the country collapses under ethnic conflict and chaos! Like every single country before it stuck in such a primitive state of mind!

      WAKE TF UP!!!!!

      Reply

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