The attack on Laura Murray is as absurd as it is unjust

The announcement that Laura Murray has been appointed Labour’s head of complaints has led to yet another round of media attacks. It is fascinating that much of the British media continues to offer the nation a greater level of scrutiny of backroom Labour officials than many government ministers endure.

But the ‘Get Laura Murray’ bandwagon is one of the most absurd hatchet jobs yet.

Anyone who knows Murray testifies that she has a heartfelt commitment to tackling the scourge of antisemitism, including extensive understanding of the various antisemitic tropes; that she recognises that Labour’s approach to dealing with the crisis must be improved; and has had an excellent relationship with Jewish activists and stakeholders. After one of the many media attacks on Murray — specifically in her approach to a case of alleged antisemitism — former Jewish Labour Movement Chair Jeremy Nemark wrote that leaked emails “show Laura Murray responded in a responsible & fair matter — exactly what most would want to see (and consistent with all my dealings with her).”

Or as Jon Lansman — one of Britain’s most high-profile Jewish Labour activists — put it:

There is a logical absurdity at the heart of this latest attack. Jeremy Corbyn and his inner circle are told they must personally get a grip of antisemitism. But then when a key Corbyn aide — in this case, Corbyn’s Stakeholder Manager, whose job included liaising with representatives of the Jewish community — is made head of complaints to deal with the issue, that is unacceptable interference from the leadership. Which is it to be?

Some might argue that, given the antisemitism crisis, a Jewish person should be appointed as Labour’s head of complaints. But when a Jewish public law QC, Gordon Nardell, was appointed as Labour’s in-house counsel, he was also attacked. You see, apparently he was the wrong kind of Jew.

There is a profound hypocrisy at work here, too. Warning: this will now be described as whataboutery, a term which is now being cynically misused on a grand scale to shut down any discussion of the double standards at work with media treatment of Labour and the Conservatives. The most prominent Tory female Muslim politician, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, has spent two years campaigning on the party’s rampant Islamophobia, which she says is “very widespread” and “exists right from the grassroots all the way up to the top”. There have been suspensions of dozens of Tory members, but only when there’s been media reports; otherwise, the Tory Chair Brandon Lewis has been accused of ignoring cases, and quietly telling those who are suspended that they will be reinstated. Yet there is very little media coverage, and Tory officials are not being dragged through the British media.

It is pretty grotesque that party officials such as Laura Murray can be vilified by the media, but are unable to defend themselves; it’s in that spirit that — as one of the few with a media platform in a position to do so — I’m offering a corrective to the media coverage. Labour certainly does need to do more to tackle antisemitism and build bridges with Jewish communities. But Murray’s appointment is a step forward to that end.