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Exclusive: Labour Is Losing Black Voters Over Allegations Of Anti-Black Racism

As UK authorities battle to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, Labour Party voters are still reeling from the aftermath of a leaked Labour report that has fuelled allegations of anti-Black racism at the heart of the party – and many have told HuffPost UK that they now feel “politically homeless”.

The 860-page report was drafted in March and leaked in April, while Jeremy Corbyn was leader of the Labour Party, and was to be part of the party’s submission to an ongoing investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into anti-Semitism.

The document, which contained private WhatsApp conversations, includes claims of a “litany of mistakes, deficiencies, and missed opportunities” to adequately address anti-Semitism within the party.

However, it also did something else that was not on the tin: raised grave concerns of anti-Black racism, otherwise referred to as Afriphobia, which campaigners argue have not been adequately addressed by the party’s leadership.

Labour officials used a string of insults in private WhatsApp groups to describe senior Black MPs and officials including Diane Abbott, Dawn Butler and Clive Lewis, the lengthy document revealed.

Abbott is referred to as “repulsive”, with another official saying she “literally makes me sick”.

Black Labour Cancellations
Black Labour Cancellations

The Hackney MP, who was found by a study to be subject to nearly half the abusive tweets sent to female MPs, was also described as an “angry woman” – a racist trope – by a Labour colleague.

Clive Lewis is referred to in one message by a member of Labour staff as “the biggest cunt out of the lot” during a discussion about the Progressive Alliance campaign – a cross-party alliance that supported tactical voting, which Lewis had publicly backed.

On May 1, it emerged that Labour’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) had appointed a four-person panel to investigate the leaked report.

This will be headed up by leading Black barrister Martin Forde QC and three Labour peer panellists:...

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