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FINDINGS AND GUIDANCE ON LANGUAGE AND BEHAVIOUR
I am not in the business of defining hate speech or offences which already prohibit and impugn it
under the ordinary criminal law of the land. Nor am I charged with legislating to deal with
discrimination on grounds of race or faith which is dealt with under the Equality Act 2010, a modern
law for which we ultimately have the Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP and Baroness Doreen Lawrence to
thank. Instead, my task involves exploring and setting a higher standard of discourse fitting of the
United Kingdom's leading progressive political party. As this standard is higher than merely not being
or intending to be antisemitic, Islamophobic or otherwise racist, I see no need to pursue an age-old
and ultimately fruitless debate about the precise parameters of race hate. Surely we in the Labour
Party can do better. We can facilitate free speech, whilst acknowledging the evidence that we have
received that there have been some instances of undoubtedly antisemitic and otherwise racist
language and discourse in the past and at the same time encouraging a civility of discourse which is
respectful of each other’s diversity and sensitivities.
The first paragraph of Clause IV of Chapter 1 of the Labour Party Constitution reads as follows:
"The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It believes that by the strength of our
common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, so as to create for each of us the
means to realise our true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth and
opportunity are in the hands of the many not the few; where the rights we enjoy reflect the
duties we owe and where we live together freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and
respect."
Paragraph 2 B goes on to describe the Party as working for:
"A just society, which judges its strength by the condition of the weak as much as the strong,
provides security against fear, and justice at work; which nurtures families, promotes equality
of opportunity, and delivers people from the tyranny of poverty, prejudice and the abuse of
power."
And in 2 C, for:
"An open democracy, in which government is held to account by the people, decisions are
taken as far as practicable by the communities they affect and where fundamental human
rights are guaranteed."
Paragraph 5 continues:
"On the basis of these principles, Labour seeks the trust of the people to govern."
These are important words and worth unpacking. The idea of ensuring that "power, wealth and
opportunity are in the hands of the many not the few" is a noble and essential one to anyone of the left
of the centre in democratic politics. It is a perfect encapsulation of economic and social justice, of a
community based on greater equality and solidarity. However, this ideal of "the many not the few"
should never be misinterpreted as justifying an insensitivity towards or oppression of minorities of
race, faith or opinion. This should be self-evident from the subsequent words about "prejudice and
abuse of power" on the one hand, and fundamental human rights on the other. In other words, social
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