LABOUR ACTIVISTS 4 JUSTICE (NO.1)

2021 (4mins)

Labour Activist Number One is Diana Neslen. Mrs Neslen is an 81 year old Jewish member of the Labour Party, accused of antisemitism. She gives the background to her story, and why she and other members have been forced to use the law to try and get justice in the Labour Party. For more detail of this hugely important case, or to donate to our legal fund click the link here: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/justice-4-labour-party-members/

Diana Neslen is a General Committee delegate to Ilford South CLP. She is an Orthodox Jew. She rejoined the Labour party in 2015 following the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader and is a member of Jewish Voice for Labour. She has been a long time Palestinian and antiracist activist. In September 2018, five months after the sudden death of her husband and while undergoing cancer treatment, she received a reminder of conduct from the Labour Party detailing eleven ‘offences’ she had committed. All were social media postings related to Israel’s policies and conduct. There was no indication anywhere as to the identity of the complainants or the definition of antisemitism the Party was applying, and some of the postings predated her Labour party membership. Although she contacted the Party to discover the nature of the ‘offences’, she received no response. In May 2020, while shielding alone, she received a notice of investigation from an anonymous employee of the Labour party detailing seven items that required investigation for antisemitism. The complainants were again anonymous and the definition not based on the published code. Although she has made contact with the party to request further information and later on to explain the proper context in which what she said must be understood, they have at no time had the courtesy to reply.