Commission on Antisemitism Report

Lord Austin of Dudley Excerpts

Thursday 17th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

My Lords, the evidence that my noble friend Lord Mann and Dame Penny Mordaunt quoted in the report and in the subsequent article published by my noble friend relating to the specific unaddressed issue of antisemitism within the NHS was shocking. They made two recommendations: a summit for NHS leaders across the UK and basic training across every NHS trust. I am sure that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will take those recommendations very seriously and look into them.

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I am afraid that, contrary to what the Minister said, as the shocking increase in antisemitism shows, there is, sadly, obviously a place in Britain for antisemitism. That is what is happening. I am afraid that one of the main causes is the BBC. If you suggest, as it does, with its disproportionate, unbalanced and biased coverage, that Israel is committing uniquely evil crimes, that is obviously going to drive hostility towards people in the UK who identify with Israel, which is the vast majority of the Jewish community. This is why the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was completely right to demand changes at the top. Is it not a disgrace that, only yesterday, the BBC’s head of current affairs, Deborah Turness, suggested that there was no difference between Hamas’s Ministers and its military wing? I have to ask the Minister: when are the Government finally going to get a grip?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

I know that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is looking very closely at all issues. I am sure she will have taken comments yesterday into consideration as she considers how to address these issues. The noble Lord is quite right that, as we saw an increase of 113% in the UK of hate crimes targeting Jews in the last year compared with the previous year, we need to make sure that that underlying current of antisemitism is tackled wherever it appears.