EHRC Antisemitism Report: Ken Livingstone and Pam Bromley Accept Settlement Offer
Justice has prevailed as former London Mayor Ken Livingstone and ex-Labour councillor Pam Bromley, both mentioned in the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) report regarding alleged antisemitism in the Labour Party, challenged the report’s findings through a judicial review.
However, today, both Mr Livingstone and Ms Bromley reached an agreement with the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The EHRC’s report from October 2020 spotlighted Mr Livingstone and Ms Bromley, suggesting they had “contributed” to “unlawful harassment related to Jewish race and religion.”
In response, both Mr Livingstone and Ms Bromley initiated legal action against the EHRC, aiming to challenge certain aspects of the report. The case was slated to go to court by the end of 2021, and a senior High Court judge granted permission for it to proceed to trial.
Ultimately, an agreement was reached between the parties were former London mayor Ken Livingstone and ex-Labour councillor Pam Bromley accepted a settlement offer today from the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Both sides withdrew from the case and assumed their own costs.
Mr Livingstone and Ms Bromley expressed their views on the settlement, stating, “We believe that, deep down, the EHRC understands that its investigation was flawed and that it acted unlawfully. That’s probably why they were willing to settle the case without recovering a penny of their exorbitant costs.”
It is worth noting that the EHRC’s legal costs exceeded £215,000, with additional spending by the Labour Party and the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA). In contrast, Mr Livingstone’s and Ms Bromley’s costs amounted to £35,000 and were funded through a fighting fund established by former Labour MP Chris Williamson in 2019, using the costs he had obtained from a won legal battle against the Labour Party.
An EHRC spokesperson even after the settlement doubled down and reaffirmed the commission’s stance on its investigation, which was fully accepted by the Labour Party. They also expressed disappointment at the resources expended on defending the judicial review claim.
Additionally, the EHRC investigation determined that the Labour Party had engaged in unlawful acts.
Mr Livingstone and Ms Bromley said in response to the settlement offer: “We believe that, deep down, the EHRC understands that its investigation was flawed and that it acted unlawfully.
“That’s probably why they were willing to settle the case without recovering a penny of their exorbitant costs.”
In a joint statement, Mr Livingstone and Ms Bromley expressed concerns about the EHRC report’s potential impact on criticism of Israel. They noted their decision to redirect resources towards addressing efforts by the Israel lobby to stifle pro-Palestine speech in educational institutions and other sectors, rather than continuing the case for an extended period.
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