Jeremy Corbyn’s legacy: Labour could face a possible £8million legal bill if whistleblowers exposed in leaked anti-Semitism report decide to sue
- Individuals exposed are considering suing for a breach of privacy, sources said
- Some have received death threats since they were revealed in leaked report
- Former leader Jeremy Corbyn is accused of doing little to stop anti-semitism
Labour could be ‘bankrupted by legal fees’ after more than 30 whistleblowers were exposed in a leaked report into the party’s handling of anti-Semitism.
Sources said the individuals are considering suing it for breach of privacy and putting their safety at risk.
The compensation bill plus lawyer costs may end up as high as £8million, they warn.
Some of the whistleblowers have received death threats since they were revealed in the leaked internal report last week.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer faces his first challenge as antisemitism row rages onwards. He’s pictured above jogging through the streets of north London
Sources close to those identified said: ‘The compensation and legal bill could be enormous, from £3million to £8million.
‘It partly depends how [Labour leader] Sir Keir [Starmer], who has to clean up his mess, reacts.’ One MP added: ‘That sort of legal bill would just bankrupt the party.’ Senior Labour sources fear the party could also be fined over the leak from the Information Commissioner.
Lawyer Mark Lewis of law firm Patron Law, who is representing 20 of those affected, said: ‘If this bankrupts the Labour Party or individuals, so be it.
‘Actions have consequences. There are lots and lots of claims. There are claims under the Data Protection Act, there are claims for breach of confidence or invasion of privacy and there are claims for libel.’
The Daily Mail revealed last week the damning 890-page report found anti-Semitism was so rife within Labour that some members’ views were like those of neo-Nazis.
Investigators said former leader Jeremy Corbyn did little to help discipline offenders until two years ago.
The document was originally meant for submission to the ongoing equalities watchdog inquiry into anti-Jewish sentiment in the party. But the full report was leaked instead, overshadowing the arrival of new party leader Sir Keir.
It plunged Labour into vicious infighting last week.
Britain’s opposition Labour Party then Spokesperson for Exiting the EU, Keir Starmer (L) is congratulated following his speech by then party leader Jeremy Corbyn (R)
Corbyn loyalists claimed the document showed ‘Blairites’ actively worked against the former leader and stopped the party winning the 2017 General Election. Moderates hit back by insisting the document was leaked by ‘die-hard Corbynites’ in a desperate bid to distract from the ‘disgraceful’ mishandling of anti-Semitism complaints.
General secretary Jennie Formby is said to be one of the individuals considering suing. She warned party members anyone sharing the report on an unauthorised basis risks ‘potential significant civil liability’.
Sir Keir has ordered an inquiry into the report’s release and content. Meanwhile, the Shadow Chancellor yesterday suggested Labour would hike taxes for the well-off and businesses as they could ‘bear the burden’ of the economic fallout from coronavirus better than others.
Anneliese Dodds said the Government must not repeat the same mistakes of a decade ago following the financial crash and must protect the most vulnerable.
She told BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show: ‘We need to have an approach which is essentially recognising that here will be some people and some corporations as well… that will be better able to bear the burden than others.’