Those peddling claims that Keir Starmer’s government is operating a “two-tier justice system” need to “take a long hard look at themselves,” Finchley and Golders Green MP Sarah Sackman has told the Jewish Labour Movement’s annual conference.
Speaking at Sunday’s event at the JW3 centre Sackman, a Justice Minister, also said chronic underfunding of the criminal justice system under the previous government was hampering the fight against the scourge of antisemitism.
Sackman told the packed event:”I don’t accept that we have a two tier justice system, and actually, those that are peddling that accusation against the Prime Minister, against the government, need to take a long, hard look at themselves.
“We have an independent operation, independent prosecution service that does its work without fear or favour.
“We saw that in the wake of the disorder that followed the Southport murders. What should have been about the victims, those little girls, became about the worst kind of thuggery and racist criminal behavior.
“I think the swift justice that we saw there was an example of the criminal justice system operating at its best. ”
Wes Streeting talks at the Jewish Labour Movement conference in London with Patrick Maguire (Ian Vogler)
Turning to the fight against Jew-hatred in society Sackman added:” We have got fix the justice system and got to make sure our criminal justice system is properly funded in order to tackle the scourge of antisemitism and extremist behavior.”
On the threats facing the Jewish community, Sackman added:”I’ve seen firsthand, the prosecutions that are being brought in, day in, day out, by the CPS against those who perpetrate hate crimes, those who glorify Hamas and other terrorist organizations on our streets.
“How do I know that? Because certainly in the months that I was Solicitor General, I was signing off on providing consent for those prosecutions to be brought forward.
“So I know they are being brought forward.
“But I come back to this point: we cannot fight antisemitism or extremism in a broken criminal justice system, and that’s why we have to fix it, not least, to keep our community safe. ”
Also speaking at Sunday’s JLM event, which attracted over 600 people, was Health Secretary Wes Streeting. He repeated his determination to come down hard on evidence of antisemitism within the NHS, saying he was “shocked” when shown examples of some conduct.
He thanked at JLM members for the hard work they had done during the general election campaign and “for the work we will do together in building a health and social care system fit for the future.”
Streeting also defended under fire chancellor Rachel Reeves telling the audience: “I think people continue to underestimate both the amount of heavy lifting she has had to do in her first six months, and the amount of heavy lifting she will have to do in her next six months.
“And the cabinet doesn’t underestimate that – we understand the choices she has to make, the pressure she is under.”
Other senior Labour figures to speak at the conference included Attorney General Richard Hermer KC ,Middle East minister Hamish Falconer and International Development minister Anneliese Dodds.
Luciana Berger, recently appointed a peer by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, also drew warm applause as she addressed attendees.
Luciana Berger speaks at JLM conference (pic Ian Vogler)
A police presence was visible outside JW3 throughout the all-day event, but there was no repeat of the pro-Palestinian demos that greeted a conference held at the same venue by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last year.
Over 50 panel sessions took place over the day, with Lord John Mann and Progressive Judaism co-chair Rabbi Charley Baginsky discussed the threat posed to the community by extremism on the far-left and from the far-right, and the need for inter-faith dialogue to combat issues such as Islamist inspired hate.
One session, with international human rights lawyer Philippe Sands took place without admission for journalists, on the grounds that he could not discuss material relating to on-going court cases that was sub judice.
