Needless to say , there is no room for abusive language , conduct or discourse in the Labour Party regardless of the race , faith , politics or true motivation of the perpetrator . It should be no defence to cite one ' s own minority heritage or to point to phrases , epithets or metaphors routinely used outside the Party or elsewhere in the world . The British Labour Party will hold itself and its members to greater standards of civility in order both to create a truly welcoming environment and to facilitate genuine freedom of speech around vital but sensitive policy issues .
Explicit abusive language
Many years ago when I first went to university , I became friends with a fellow undergraduate who was new to London and to living in an ethnically diverse environment . Upon arrival at my friend ' s flat for dinner one evening , I asked directions to the nearest place where I might go to buy a bottle of wine to share with my friends . My host told me that there was a " Paki shop " around the corner . I felt instantly sick ( a common reaction to such an experience ) but , to my regret , I did not say a word . At the time and now , with over twenty years hindsight , I am confident that my college friend had no shred of racist intention and was simply ignorant of the history , unthinkingly repeating a word commonly used and heard . Conversely , I had only ever heard it in childhood and adolescence as a term of abuse and so could never accept it as a light-hearted abbreviation with which to describe a local corner shop . Was my friend a racist - as in having hatred towards any particular racial group in her heart ? Certainly not , in my view . Should the word have been used as part of my welcome to the party ? Of course not .
Sadly , it would seem that this word still has too much currency even today , but I don ' t believe that many people would argue that it has any place in civilised discourse in modern Britain , let alone in the Labour Party . However language is a constantly evolving thing and it is wise to be sensitive and alert to new epithets that emerge to dehumanise people and to shut down free speech rather than expanding or enhancing it in any political community . Having dealt with one traditional and notorious racist label , I hope I do not need to list all the others that have been used over the years to abuse or so as to offend people of different ethnic groups or appearance .
- I recommend that the use of racist epithets has no place in the Labour Party .
During the short period of my current Inquiry , I have learned of a new modern-day racist epithet . " Zio " is a word that seems to have gained some currency on campuses and on social media in particular . No doubt it began as an abbreviation of " Zionist " ( a term I will discuss later ). However , I am clear that no one uses this word to describe their own political or cultural identity . It is a term of abuse , pure and simple , and should not in my view have any place in the vocabulary of Labour members , whether online , in conversation or anywhere else . According to the children ' s rhyme : " Sticks and stones will break my bones …". But name-calling will undermine the atmosphere being sought by the Labour Party under the leadership that appointed me to write this Report .
- I recommend that the word " Zio " should have no place in Labour Party discourse going forward .
- Similarly critical and abusive reference to any particular person or group based on actual or perceived physical characteristics cannot be tolerated .
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